Meet Birame Sylla, a student in DigitAll Advanced

What is your background?
From a very young age, I lived between two countries: Italy and Senegal, which allowed me to become trilingual very quickly: Wolof, French and Italian. I have lived in Italy since I was a teenager. Then my children grew up and we decided to come to France to allow them to follow an ambitious school curriculum.
 
What profession would you like to focus on now?
For 2 years I was enrolled in a RATP training course to become a bus driver. My favorite job. I have been driving large vehicles for a long time, and I must say that I am quite good at driving.
However, because of the Covid crisis, I have not been able to finish this training.

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How does digital technology play into your life now? 
In addition to my job as a driver, I have always kept digital technology in mind, because I have known for a long time that it is very important to understand how to use it. I took my first training course in digital technology in Senegal in 2009, so when I heard about the Digistart training through Pôle Emploi, I was immediately interested. I first started at the intermediate level and then moved on to DigitAll Advanced. Additionally, working in Excel has actually helped me to get used to math again.

What do you gain from this training?
As far as the course itself is concerned, I really liked the atmosphere and the cohesion within my group. The fact that the courses were held during the day was also very practical for me.
The support of the trainers, their patience, and the fact that they take the time to listen to each learner were really appreciated.
 
I took this course very seriously and I practiced every evening on my personal computer via the free access we had with CrossKnowledge. This regular training allowed me not to forget what I was learning during the week. Sometimes, I even compete with my son to test our mutual skills.
This is definitely a course I would recommend. Everyone needs to be computer literate, regardless of their background.

What are the next steps for you after this training?
I have qualified for several job offers, notably at the Paris City Hall as an administrative agent.
But I have just learned that I will finally be able to resume my training at the RATP! My original goal of becoming a bus driver is going to become a reality. I have the right profile: I'm authoritative, but I'm also warm and I know how to keep my cool in all circumstances, which is essential for this job. Soon you will find me on the road!