Centre County employees lacking basic computer knowledge or those just wanting to polish their computer skills will be able to attend computer training sessions next month --courtesy of the University.

More than 100 county employees will be excused from a half-day of work next month to attend computer literacy training sessions offered by the University's Management Development Programs and Services. Plans are also underway for time-management and management-development classes later this year.

The classes, which are free of charge to county employees, are part of a real estate tax agreement between the University and the county.

Last February, the University settled out of court to pay about $600,000 a year for the next 10 years in lieu of paying real estate taxes. The University also agreed give the county $200,000 worth of services each year.

The money is paid at the end of each year and funds are distributed to the county, the State College Borough, the State College Area School District and College, Patton, Ferguson and Harris townships.

Though these classes are the first offered to the employees by the University, one official hopes they will not be the last.

"We hope to make this a part of the tax agreement," said Samuel DeWald, the director and associate professor of the University's Management Development Programs and Services. "It's a mutually benefiting program for the county and the University."

DeWald and some county officials conducted a survey of county employees to find out what classes were needed. The results of the survey prompted the University to offer a computer class first.

"There are folks that are very interested in the computer literacy classes," said Evan Smith, the Centre County director for administrative services.

The four half-day computer training sessions are aimed at providing basic computer skills for employees, who will be using new computers purchased by the county. The classes will he held at one of the University's computer labs.

Smith said some county employees need the computer training.

"We have a number of employees who have no computer experience at all," Smith said.

Three time-management classes will be offered in half-day sessions beginning in March and will be held once a month for three months. The expected site for the time-management class is in the Willowbank Building in Bellefonte.

The time-management classes were scheduled over three months because the county must continue to function normally with enough personnel.

"One of the problems they have is they can't take people off work for a long time," DeWald said.

Department heads will be offered a management development class later in the year. This class will offer communication and leadership training to county employees in the upper-level management positions.