The verdict in three sentences
In Thiès, roles such as administrative assistant, data entry clerk or project assistant at cement and mining companies, transport firms and international NGOs nearly all require Word, Excel and PowerPoint. About one recruitment in two includes a practical test, usually in Excel, and that is where many graduates fail. The course Complete Office Suite: Word, Excel and PowerPoint at work, 22 hours for 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR or 165 USD), targets exactly those real office tasks.
What employers in Thiès actually test
The Thiès area hosts cement and phosphate industries, construction and logistics companies on the Dakar to Touba corridor, schools and many NGO projects. International employers and multinationals in particular often use English-language versions of Office and ask candidates to complete a 20 to 30 minute task during the interview.
| Target role in Thiès | Monthly entry salary (2026 estimate) | Tools tested in interviews |
|---|---|---|
| Data entry clerk | 150,000 to 200,000 FCFA (229 to 305 EUR) | Word, Excel (entry, sort, filters) |
| Administrative assistant | 175,000 to 250,000 FCFA | Word (letters, templates), Excel (formulas) |
| Junior executive secretary | 200,000 to 300,000 FCFA | Word, PowerPoint, file organisation |
| Logistics or stock assistant | 180,000 to 280,000 FCFA | Excel (XLOOKUP, pivot tables) |
| NGO project assistant | 200,000 to 300,000 FCFA (305 to 457 EUR) | Excel, PowerPoint, Word reports |
| Billing clerk | 150,000 to 220,000 FCFA | Excel (sums, tables, formatting) |
Salaries vary by employer and degree. The course improves your chances in the test; it does not guarantee a job.
Course content
The course Complete Office Suite: Word, Excel and PowerPoint at work is level 4 of the Office and Productivity track, at intermediate level. It is taught in French; the skills transfer directly to the English versions of Office, and function names such as XLOOKUP are the same in English. It assumes you can already use a computer and type a document.
| Module | What you will be able to do in a test or on the job |
|---|---|
| The shared workspace | Organise folders, share and version files |
| Word at the office: templates and automation | Standard letters, mail merge, company template |
| Excel at the office: consolidate and analyse | Formulas, XLOOKUP, pivot tables |
| PowerPoint: building the message | Structure an 8 to 12 slide presentation |
| PowerPoint: professional layout | Slide masters, alignment, brand guidelines |
| PowerPoint: charts, images and useful animations | Charts from Excel, restrained animations |
| Presenting with impact | Present a report in 5 minutes to a manager |
| Making the suite work together | Link an Excel table to a Word report and a deck |
Comparing training options in Thiès
| Option | Price (2026 estimate) | Duration | Strength | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Complete Office Suite | 100,000 FCFA (152 EUR) | 22 h | Real office cases, own pace, certificate | Requires self-discipline |
| Training centre in Thiès | 120,000 to 250,000 FCFA | 4 to 8 weeks | Classroom supervision | Fixed hours, transport costs |
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA | Variable | Free | No progression, no certificate |
| International online certificates | 25,000 to 80,000 FCFA a month | Variable | Broad recognition | Generic, not adapted to local employers |
| Full Office track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | 5 levels | From basics to executive assistant | Higher investment |
If you start from a lower level, or aim for an executive assistant role, the Office and Productivity track bundles all 5 levels for 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000.
Mini case study
Ndèye, 25, holds a management degree from Thiès and has been moving from one unpaid internship to another. She failed the Excel test of an NGO interview twice. She completes the Complete Office Suite course in 4 weeks, 6 hours a week, repeating the pivot table and XLOOKUP exercises in the English version of Excel.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Calculation: if she lands an administrative assistant job at 200,000 FCFA a month (about 305 EUR) instead of a 50,000 FCFA internship allowance, the gap is 150,000 FCFA a month. The 100,000 FCFA course is paid back in under three weeks of salary. Even if the job search takes three months, the cost remains below one month of entry pay. This is an estimate: the outcome depends on the market and her application.
FAQ
What level do I need to start?
The course is intermediate: you should be able to start a computer, save a file and type a text. If not, begin with level 1 of the Office and Productivity track.
The course is in French. Will it help with English-language tests?
Yes. Office menus follow the same logic in both languages, and the course exercises (sorting a 200-row table, a standard letter, a 10-slide deck) are what international employers ask for. Practising on an English version of Office for a few hours before the interview is enough to adapt.
Do I need Microsoft Office installed?
You need access to Word, Excel and PowerPoint, for example on a personal computer, at a cyber café or through the free web version of Microsoft 365. Plan about 22 hours of practice over 3 to 6 weeks.
How do I pay from Thiès?
Enrolment costs 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR or 165 USD), paid by Wave or Orange Money. For questions, message +221 77 596 93 33 on WhatsApp.
Is the certificate useful on a CV?
It certifies 22 hours of practical training and lets you name precise skills such as pivot tables. Recruiters mostly look at your test result, which the course helps you prepare.
Take the next step. Enroll in Complete Office Suite: Word, Excel and PowerPoint at work: 22 hours, 100,000 FCFA, Kolonell Academy certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
