Computer basics
Windows 11, the mouse and the keyboard, files and folders, and changing the settings on your laptop.
Mercer Med TechTech track
Learn computer skills for work. No cost if you qualify.
Digital Literacy Training at Mercer Med Tech prepares you for work that uses a computer every day. We start with a short skills check so your training fits what you already know.
- Enrolling soon
- 7 weeks, 20 hours a week
- Lawrenceville or online
- English and Spanish
From there you cover Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, staying safe online, AI, and money management. You leave with a credential you can show an employer, and with someone here helping you look for work. It is grant funded, so if you qualify it costs you nothing.
Information sessions
Details on upcoming information sessions will be shared soon. Ask us to contact you when enrollment opens.
Interest list
Tell us you are interested
Leave your name and a phone number or email, and we will get back to you about the next group. Caseworkers can send this in for someone they work with. Asking costs nothing and does not sign you up for anything.
Who qualifies
Four things to check
If all four describe you, you are very likely eligible.
- You live in New Jersey and are 18 or olderAge 18 or older on your first day of training.
- You currently receive TANF or SNAPBenefits through WorkFirst New Jersey.
- You live in one of seven countiesSee the list below.
- You are ready to train and look for workYou can put in 20 hours a week and work with us on the job search.
Counties served
- Hunterdon
- Middlesex
- Monmouth
- Mercer
- Ocean
- Somerset
- Union
We confirm your eligibility with your county social services agency. You do not have to do that part yourself.
Not sure? Ask us. Fill in the interest form and we will go through it with you.
What you learn
Seven skill areas, in recorded lessons you watch any day
Every one of them is hands-on. You are on a computer, not reading about one. Before you start, we check what you already know, so your training starts at the right level for you.
Internet, email, and online communication
Searching, browsing safely, writing professional email, and meeting online.
Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
Documents, spreadsheets, and slides, in both of the tool sets employers use.
Online safety and cybersecurity basics
Passwords, phishing, scams, and protecting your accounts and personal information.
AI literacy
How to use AI tools at work, what they are good at, and where they get things wrong.
Money management
Banking on your phone, keeping a budget, and spotting a scam before it costs you.
Getting ready for work
Your resume and cover letter, applying online, practicing interviews, and a job search you can keep going on your own.
What you leave with
Proof of your skills, and a plan
A college credential
You work toward the NJIT AI Literacy Microcredential, a college credential on New Jersey’s Eligible Training Provider List.
A finished resume
Your resume, ready to send, and a professional email address to send it from.
Interview practice
You practice with us first, so the first real interview is not your first one.
A job search plan
Where to look, what to apply for, and how to keep the search going.
Someone in your corner after
You keep working with us one to one, we connect you with employers, and after you start a job we check in at 30, 60, and 90 days.
Support while you train
You are not doing this alone
- At orientation, you and your advisor write a plan together. It says what you are aiming for and what you need to get there.
- A laptop at orientation, and a hotspot if you need one. The laptop becomes yours when you finish the training and keep a job for 90 days.
- Live sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, on campus in Lawrenceville or on Microsoft Teams, and Friday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, on Teams, plus a check-in with staff every week.
- Staff who speak English and Spanish, and materials in both languages.
Help with the things that get in the way
Depending on what you need, we may be able to help with:
- A hotspot, if you need internet at home.
- Getting to class.
- Clothes for an interview.
- Exam and ID fees.
We work out what you need in your plan, at orientation. There are no stipends or payments for attending.
How to enroll
Four steps, in order
Digital Literacy Training is enrolling soon. Tell us you are interested and we will contact you when the next group begins.
- Tell us you are interestedFill in the short interest form on this page (two minutes). We reply by email or text, usually within two business days. Caseworkers can send it for someone they work with.Go to the interest form
- We confirm your eligibilityWe check with your county social services agency. You do not need a referral to start.
- We check your skills and write your planAt orientation we set your goals and work out what support you need. A short skills check tells us where to start you.
- You start training with your groupYou receive your laptop at orientation. Lessons are recorded, so you watch them in Moodle on any day, with live sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, on campus in Lawrenceville or on Microsoft Teams, and Friday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, on Teams. The program runs 7 weeks, 20 hours a week.
For referral partners
County agencies, One-Stop Career Centers, and community organizations
We work with the people who already know your clients.
Who to refer
New Jersey residents 18 or older who currently receive TANF or SNAP and live in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Ocean, Somerset, or Union county. We give every participant a skills check and place them at the right level, so you can refer someone at any starting point. Mercer Med Tech is on New Jersey's Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL).
How to refer
- Fill in the interest form for the person you are referring, with your agency name and their AOSOS number if you have it.
- Email contact@mercermedtech.com.
- Details on upcoming information sessions will be shared soon. We do not require a referral form. If your county has its own intake steps, tell us and we will work to them.
What we report back
With the participant's consent, we send your agency regular updates: whether they enrolled, whether they are attending, whether they earned the credential, and whether they found work.
Contact
Questions
Questions people ask us
Does it cost anything?
No. It is grant funded, so if you qualify it costs you nothing. To be straight with you: there are no stipends or payments for attending either.
When can I start?
Digital Literacy Training is enrolling soon. Fill in the interest form on this page and we will tell you when the next group starts.
Who is eligible?
You need to live in New Jersey, be 18 or older, currently get TANF or SNAP through WorkFirst New Jersey, and live in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Ocean, Somerset, or Union county. We confirm it with your county social services agency.
Do I need a referral?
No. Your county WorkFirst NJ office or One-Stop Career Center can refer you, but you can also apply directly. Fill in the interest form on this page and we will coordinate with your county.
When are the information sessions?
Details on upcoming information sessions will be shared soon. Fill in the interest form on this page and we will tell you as soon as the next one is set.
Do I need my own computer?
No. Every participant receives a laptop at orientation, and a hotspot if you need internet at home. The laptop becomes yours when you finish the training and keep a job for 90 days.
How long is it, and what are the hours?
7 weeks, 20 hours a week: 5 weeks of the Mercer Med Tech core course, then 2 weeks of the NJIT AI Literacy Microcredential. If you need more time to finish NJIT, there is an optional eighth week. In the first 5 weeks, lessons are recorded, so you watch them on the days that fit your week.
Is it in person or online?
It is hybrid. Most of the week is recorded lessons and tasks in Moodle, done at your own pace within the week. The live sessions, Eastern time, are Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, on campus in Lawrenceville (Suite 140) or on Microsoft Teams, and Friday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, on Teams. The instructor may add extra sessions, announced in Moodle. You also check in with staff once a week. Groups are small.
Will you help me find a job?
Yes. You work with someone one to one on your resume, on where to apply, and on interviews, and we pass on job leads and employer contacts. After you start a job we check in with you at 30, 60, and 90 days.
Can you help with getting to class, or clothes for an interview?
Maybe. Depending on what you need, we may be able to help with getting to class, clothes for an interview, a hotspot for internet at home, and exam or ID fees. We work that out with you in your plan at orientation. There are no stipends or payments for attending.
Do you have anyone who speaks Spanish?
Yes. We have staff who speak English and Spanish. The interest form is in Spanish too: choose Spanish as your class language and we will reply in Spanish.
What if I receive benefits but I am not sure which kind?
Fill in the interest form and choose "Neither, or not sure". We will help you work it out. We check with your county social services agency, so you do not have to.
Get started
Talk to us
Fill in the interest form or send us an email. We will help you check whether you qualify, and it costs nothing to ask.
Phone
(609) 712-5499Information sessions
Details will be shared soon