Office Skills and
Keyboarding:
An Introduction
Access 2
Outcomes
1. Describe the use, including basic
care, of common office equipment.
2. Demonstrate office skills under
supervision.
3. Use a keyboard to carry out
activities under supervision.
Background information

This unit will help you experience
what it is like to work in an office.

Your teacher will work through this
PowerPoint show. They will then ask
you to work through the Student
Workbook to complete the tasks.

When you have completed each
task, ask your teacher/tutor to check
it.
More information

When you see this icon
, it
means you are ready to do a task.
Your responsibilities

You will be responsible for your own
work.

You must always check your work
for errors.

You will also be responsible for
marking the work of your
classmates.
The way you work

There will be a high level of help from
your teacher/tutor.

As you progress, you will take
ownership of your own work and
ensure that the quality of your work is
good.
Outcomes 1 and 2

You will learn the correct names of
office equipment, what they are used
for and how to look after them.

You will learn to work in an office
and how to safely use office
equipment under supervision.
Setting the scene

Imagine you are an administration
assistant in Forbes Enterprise Ltd.

Your new job will involve various
tasks around the office.

You will word process, answer the
telephone and operate the fax.
Setting the scene

Mr V Forbes, your boss, tells you that all new
administration assistants must go on a training
course.
The training
course will
help you learn
about the
different types
of office
equipment.
Now do Tasks 1 and 2.
Office equipment
This is split into three different categories:

office appliances, eg electrical equipment

office sundries, eg paper-based equipment

office stationery, eg pens, pencils, etc.
Office appliances
Office appliances are usually operated by
electricity.
The following are a few examples of office appliances:

photocopier

fax machine

personal computer

telephone

shredder

laminator.
Office stationery
Office stationery tends to be items made out of
paper or card.
The following are a few examples of office stationery:

window envelopes

memo pads

printer paper

telephone message pads.
Office sundries
Office sundries are all other items used by
office staff.
The following are a few examples of office
sundries:

stapler

pens

paper punch

paper clips.
Now do Tasks 3–6.
What happens now?

Your teacher/tutor will describe each
appliance and explain how to care
for it.

Your teacher/tutor will then show you
how to use each appliance.

You will get a chance to care for and
use each appliance.
Office
appliances
What is a photocopier?

A photocopier is a machine that
makes paper copies of documents
and pictures.
How do I look after it?

Photocopiers should be switched off and
unplugged overnight.

The glass on the photocopier must be kept
very clean.

Clean the glass with a soft, dry cloth to get
rid of marks.

Clear any paper jams.
How to use a photocopier

Lift the lid.

Place your document face down on the
glass.

Make a test copy by pressing the copy
button.

If you are happy with the test copy, key in
the number of copies required and make
the copies.

Remove your original document and the
copies from the photocopier.
Health and safety
If a photocopier is not working:

Check that it is plugged in.

Clear any paper jams.

Do not attempt to fix it yourself – report the
fault to your teacher/tutor.
Try it for yourself

Your teacher/tutor will show you how
to do use the photocopier first.

You will then get the chance to use it.

Watch your teacher/tutor carefully.
Now do Task 7 and complete
checklist.
Now do Task 8.
What is a fax machine?

A machine that sends and receives
text and pictures along phone lines.
How do I look after it?

Clean the fax machine using a soft,
dry cloth or a duster.
Fax machine
Facts:

Documents containing text, graphics,
photographs, etc. can be sent by fax.

Faxes can be sent to other fax
machines in the world, 24 hours a
day.
How does it work?

Fax machines are connected using telephone lines.

Each fax machine has its own number, so you need
to know your friend’s fax number if you want to send
them a fax.
Now do Tasks 9, 10, 11 and 12.
Try it for yourself

Your teacher/tutor will show you how
to use the fax machine first.

You will then get the chance to use
it.

Watch your teacher/tutor carefully.
Now do Task 13.
Personal computer

Used for word processing and
searching the internet.
How do I look after it?

Clean the keyboard with a soft, dry
cloth and clean the screen with
screen wipes.
Personal computer
Facts:

used in every office.

can connect to the internet.

used to word process worksheets.
Now do Task 14.
Try it for yourself

Your teacher/tutor will show you how
to use the personal computer first.

You will then get the chance to use
it.

Watch your teacher/tutor carefully.
Telephone

A telephone is an electronic device
used for two-way talking with other
people.
How do I look after it?

Use a clean duster to clean the
telephone.
Telephone
Facts:

You can receive spoken messages
from another person.

You can phone anyone in the world,
24 hours a day.
Now do Tasks 15 and 16.
Try it for yourself

Your teacher/tutor will show you how
to use the telephone first.

You will then get the chance to use
it.

Watch your teacher/tutor carefully.
Shredder

A paper shredder is a mechanical
device used to cut confidential
(private) papers into either strips or
very small pieces.
Danger!

Remember to watch your tie or
hair when using a paper
shredder.
Try it for yourself

Your teacher/tutor will show you how
to use the shredder first.

You will then get the chance to use
it.

Watch your teacher/tutor carefully.
Laminator

A laminator puts a plastic coating
onto paper.

A laminator helps protect important
documents.
Danger!

Remember a laminator can be
hot and if you are not careful
you could burn your fingers.
Try it for yourself

Your teacher/tutor will show you how
to use the laminator first.

You will then get the chance to use
it.

Watch your teacher/tutor carefully.
Health and safety

Report any potential hazards.

Adjust trailing cables.

Don’t try to fix broken electrical
equipment.
Dealing with faults – report
them!

If you cannot fix the fault, then you
need to report it.

Usually you should report it to your
teacher/tutor, who will try to fix it.

If they cannot fix it, they will then
pass on the fault to a technician.
Don’t try to fix it on your own!
Office stationery
Memo pads or Post-it notes
Used to send short memos or
notes to other people.

Where would you store spare
pads?

You could store them in a stationery
cupboard and keep some handy for
you to use.
Envelopes

Used to send letters through the
post.
Where would you store
envelopes?

You could store them in a stationery
cupboard and keep some handy for
you to use.
Telephone message pad

Used to record telephone messages.
Where would you store
telephone message pads?

You could store them in a stationery
cupboard and keep some handy for
you to use.
Telephone message pad
Now do
Task 17.
When answering the telephone, you should
also have a telephone message pad and a
pen/pencil ready on the table.
Office sundries
Stapler

This is used to staple paper together.

It can be cleaned using a duster.

Check that there are no staples
stuck in the stapler.
Pens/pencils

These are used to write things.
Where would you store them?

You could store them in a stationery
cupboard and keep some handy for
you to use.
Paper punch

Used to punch holes in paper, so it
can be filed in a folder.
Where would you store this
item?

This should be stored nearby so that
it can be reached easily.
Paper clips

These are used to clip paper
together.
Where would you store spare
paper clips?

You could store them in the
stationery cupboard and keep some
handy for you to use.

Your teacher/tutor will give you the
chance to use the different types of
office sundries over the next few
weeks.
Are you ready for the Outcomes
1 and 2 assessment?

If you have completed all the tasks
and exercises without any errors,
then you are ready to do the
assessment.

Tell your teacher/tutor that you are
ready.
Good luck!
Outcome 3

You will use a word processor to
produce a paragraph of text.

You will then print this out and proofread your work before asking your
teacher to mark it.
Typing

To help improve your keyboarding
skills, click on the web link below and
work from level 1 to level 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
Getting started – word
processor
This section will take you through:





typing text
typing figures
using upper-case letters
using lower-case letters
using the shift, space, return and
delete keys.
Important keys to remember
Shift key
Used to type capital letters.
Space bar
A key in the shape of a bar and near the bottom of a
keyboard that generates a space character when pressed.
Enter key
This key is used to return the cursor to the next line or
completes a command.
Backspace key
Moves the cursor one position backwards and deletes the
preceding character.
What is a word processor?
It allows staff to type letters.
This business program is commonly used by
administration staff.
For example:

John McKean (administration assistant).

He sends letters out to customers and uses
a word processor to do this.
What can a word processor
be used for?
A word processor can be used to
type:

letters

posters

notices.
Complete the remaining
tasks

Complete Tasks 18–25.

Proof-read each task before handing
it to your teacher/tutor to mark.
Are you ready for the Outcome 3
assessment?

If you have completed all the tasks
and exercises without any errors,
then you are ready to do the
assessment.

Tell your teacher/tutor that you are
ready.
Good luck!