ABS ACT STATISTICAL TRAINING PROGRAM


DEVELOP YOUR STATISTICAL SKILLS

Each office of the ABS offers practical, informative and relevant training to help you develop your statistical skills. These courses may also be tailored to suit your particular needs or additional programs can be developed as required for presentations at your own locality. The next scheduled courses for the ACT are:


Valuing Australia's Environment

Overview: At the completion of this course participants will be able to:

• understand the frameworks that underpin environmental accounting;
• distinguish the various types of environmental accounts and what they measure;
• understand the relative benefits of environmental accounting;
• develop a basic understanding of the processes, frameworks and classifications involved in compiling environmental accounts; and
• understand the various uses and users of environmental accounts.

Is this course for me? The course would be of interest to anyone requiring an overview of environmental statistics and their use; anyone who is new to environment and natural resource statistics; and/or anyone working in the field of environmental accounting or national accounts.

Date: 17 February 2010

Cost: $450 (inc. GST) per person


Turning Data Into Information

Overview: This two-day course is intended to provide skills in interpreting, communicating and displaying data clearly and effectively. Participants will gain skills in transforming data into meaningful written information, particularly in respect to social policy issues. At the completion of this course participants will be able to:

• understand how the collection and compilation of data affects their usefulness, quality and relevance;
• communicate results and prepare written reports;
• construct good tables and graphs; and
• recognise possible pitfalls in analysis.

Is this course for me? This course will be most beneficial to people who need to use data to produce reports or social commentary, or people who are involved with monitoring and evaluation in a social context.

Dates: 18 - 19 February 2010

Cost: $750 (inc. GST) per person


Making Quality Informed Decisions

Overview: Need to introduce some quality into your statistical decision making?

This one-day course introduces the concept of 'holistic quality' through the use of a data quality framework. The framework ensures that users of statistics are able to assess whether the statistics are fit for their intended use. This course will provide participants with an increased understanding of:

• how to set up a quality framework;
• risk management in making statistical decisions;
• how to assess datasets in the context of data need; and
• using information on data quality to make better informed decisions.

Is this course for me? This course would be useful for anyone who uses statistics in decision making, or is involved in producing statistics and wants to ensure that statistics are used appropriately.

Date: 24 February 2010

Cost: $450 (inc. GST) per person


Using ABS Datacubes in SuperTABLE

Overview: The ABS web site has large datasets that can be downloaded for free. This course will teach participants how to access these datasets in SuperTABLE format to create tables that meet their organisation's information needs. Through a combination of theoretical instruction and computer-based exercises, participants will learn how to use the free SuperTABLE software.

Is this course for me? This course is suitable for people who have little or no experience in the use of SuperTABLE. Participants should have attended an ABS Web Site seminar or be confident ABS web site users.

Date: 17 March 2010

Cost: $300 (inc. GST) per person (half day course)


Analysing Survey Data Made Simple

Overview: This two-day computer-based course develops practical skills in basic statistical and graphical data analysis techniques using Microsoft Excel. It aims to equip participants with the skills to:

• identify the steps involved in data analysis;
• summarise and display survey data in graphical and tabular form;
• find simple relationships in survey data; and
• test for statistically significant differences between survey results.

Is this course for me? This course is designed for people with limited training and exposure to statistical analysis who need to learn how to analyse and describe data that have been collected in surveys. A mathematical background is beneficial but not essential. Previous experience using spreadsheets is recommended.

Date: 23 - 24 March 2010

Cost: $750 (inc. GST) per person

Further details of training courses and registrations forms can be found on the ABS Training home page.