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Certification
is key for Information Technology jobs
By Sharon Rigsby
President
Gwinnett Technical College
for GwinnettForum.com
June 27, 2001 -- The educational system is one of the most rapidly
changing organizations in the country. With changes in funding,
governmental involvement, and workplace educational requirements,
education is big business.
We hear advertisements on the radio every day about advancing your
career in the Information Technology (IT) industry. Multitudes of
training centers in the metro-Atlanta area are springing up to meet
the demands of those seeking a technology career. With the proper
education, you can launch into a very successful future in information
technologies; however, industry certification may be the key to
success.
Popular computer certification programs like Cisco, A+, Microsoft
Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Network+ have been developed
using specific industry standards. Becoming certified in these areas
may open the doors for higher salaries, job security, and career
advancement opportunities.
As technology continues to evolve, the industry continues to develop
standards and requirements for those seeking this career. To fully
prepare Gwinnett's workforce for these demands, Gwinnett Technical
College offers a variety of certification programs, providing students
with knowledge that is relevant to today's job market, right here
in our own community.
Recently, Gwinnett Tech was extended a contract to be a Cisco Regional
Network Academy. With curriculum developed by Cisco administrators
and taught by Gwinnett Tech faculty, the program teaches students
to design, build and maintain computer networks.
According to recent studies of the IT workforce in the US, 1.6
million new IT positions were created in the year 2000. The number
of unfilled positions was 843,329. Attributing this shortage to
the lack of skilled employees that can design and maintain growing
networks, students with Cisco certifications should be highly employable.
But at Gwinnett Tech, we know that many students seeking these
certifications are already full-time employees. They are choosing
the certification route to advance their careers. With their best
interest in mind, our courses are offered during the evenings and
on weekends, allowing students to maintain current employment status,
while building a successful future.
Gwinnett Tech's easy access to highway 316 provides a location
advantage to many other training options, and our course fees are
quite competitive. In fact, training space for the IT certification
programs has recently been expanded in the former Gwinnett Chamber
of Commerce building that is on Gwinnett Tech's campus..
The beauty of the computer certification industry is that the level
of education, commitment and knowledge is determined by the industry.
All students seeking certification are held at the same set of standards
for performance-no matter where they take the certification test.
With programs developed by the industry, like Gwinnett Tech's Cisco
Network Academy, you can be sure you're getting the knowledge that
is relevant to the certification process.
With so many advertisements for certification programs throughout
the area, we sometimes forget that we have these same resources
here in our own backyard. Training partnerships with high-tech companies
like Scientific-Atlanta, Lucent Technologies and BellSouth help
Gwinnett Tech maintain its pulse on Gwinnett's workforce needs and
help us stay abreast of the changing demands in the IT industry.
I encourage all Gwinnett citizens to visit our campus and learn
about the many career options available in our county.
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