Hi all, I have a basic knowledge of databases and access but I am stuck with the design of a database that I am currently trying to build. I would greatly appreciate any help anyone here could offer me!

Here is what I need to the database to do:
The database is for a business that helps people get back into employment so the database needs to hold records of the clients who come to the firm.

Once a client comes to the business they will be assigned to an employee who will open their case.

Each case involves trying to get the client the skills needed to get back into work and therefore I need the database to track the skills they obtain or have obtained in the past from five programme categories, however it is worth noting that within each programme category, the course names will differ and the user will need to simply enter the name of the course that the client has taken from that category. (I know this is hard to understand)

A case will also involve trying to get the client into employment and therefore the database will need to track the employment history that a client is sent to as part of the case and the type of employment. the types of employment will also be categoried under 5 types, eg Permanent for over 13 weeks, temporary, self employed etc and each time the client goes to employment the details of the employer will need to be stored about the employment type and a certificate of employment attached.

I have tried a number of times to build this database, trying to create a client table, a case table that holds details of the case eg who its assigned to and which employee, but then I continually find it hard to link the skills to employment table and employment table.

Any design help would be greatly appreciated as I have been struggling with this for weeks now as I simply can now get my head round how to link the skills a client has obtained to information about the programmes undertaken and then the courses names etc from teach programme they have undertaken and the same with their employment history.

All of it needs to link back to the client as I build a case for each client about their skills and employment.

Please help!

While it is certainly possible to write a package like this, it is not practical nor is it a good use of your resources. There are a number of well written programs for doing this kind of tracking that are available at no cost to you and which have frequent updates and enhancements being supplied by users from across the world.

Please tell us where (what country and city) you intend to implement this project and I'm sure that we can recommend one of these packages which is ready to be installed and is being maintained to comply with local laws and enhanced to add new features. This will save you a great deal of effort up front, and on an ongoing basis too.

-PatP

Thanks Pat for the reply!

Im trying to set it up from a place just outside Belfast in Northern Ireland. I've been working really hard to try to find the best way to link the different tables and relate the skills and employment history to the clients and their cases and employees who are dealing with them but still I have been unable to get my head around it.

Many thanks for getting back to me, I'd really appreciate it if you could provide any suggestions or links to these programmes you mentioned in your last post so that I could see if they match my requirements.

Many thanks, I look forward to your suggestions.

Any suggestions please people??

Still struggling big time with this