July 7, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – GRCC Workforce Training programs provide in-demand skills leading to rewarding careers. Each Wednesday we’ll meet students who are heading down an educational pathway and changing their lives by earning occupational certificates.
After graduating from high school, Shelly Parks did a variety of service industry work; mainly dishwashing and housekeeping. She heard about the GRCC Computer Support Technician Job Training Program from her friends.
“I really liked the way this program worked with my schedule and I liked the idea of being done in just 18 weeks.” After completing the program, Parks was an intern at GRCC.
The Computer Support Technician Job Training Program prepares students to achieve two certifications: the Google IT Support Professional Certificate and the CompTIA A+ Certification. Both of these IT certifications are globally recognized and represent in-demand skills sought after by a wide array of employers. Moving forward, this program just recently moved to an online hybrid format.
This program is designed to address computer support from four perspectives: technical, professionalism and employability, business innovation, and design.
From a technical perspective, this program focuses on the four fundamentals of IT: hardware, software, networking, and security. Additionally, students gain experience with both the Windows operating system, as well as Linux, along with setting up and accessing virtual machines and cloud computing services. Many troubleshooting strategies are taught to prepare students for the myriad problems they will encounter and how to provide the most efficient and effective solutions.
This program also prepares students with the employability skills and the professionalism required to work in IT. Students regularly meet local IT technicians, engineers, business owners, and recruiters via Zoom to learn from their experiences and current market expectations.
The topic of design is integrated throughout the program in order to best prepare students to satisfy the increasing and ever-changing demands and expectations of today’s IT users.
GRCC has an unmatched reputation among employers for supplying West Michigan with work-ready technicians. Our graduates specialize in providing empathy for the people they support while solving complex problems using troubleshooting and design thinking methodologies. Students are also taught to focus on human-centered solutions and technology-based innovations for both colleagues and customers.
“I am really excited for the future,” Parks said. “This program really opened my eyes. I see now that I can do just about anything with this knowledge of technology. My instructor totally gave me a new perspective of how technology can benefit human beings and that is what I want to do.”
Anyone interested in gaining career skills through GRCC Workforce Training can connect via email at workforcetraining@grcc.edu, and by phone at (616) 234-3800. Additional information is at grcc.edu/programs/job-workforce-training.
