Community college candidates

Forget graduate school, community colleges are the new hot places to be if you're looking to gain a little extra higher education to further your career. This week's Management Strategies story in Network World examines the rise of community colleges and high tech, and looks at the edge they give IT professionals.

Community colleges have seen double-digit increase in enrollment over last fall, and half of the 6 million noncredit students - those not studying for a degree - work full time. Twenty-eight percent of noncredit students already hold a bachelor's degree, but are coming to community colleges for more.

Community college proponents say the institutions give IT students practical training and real world skills, as well as the business skills they need to succeed in today's companies. For IT professionals who look to advance their careers, general business skills such as report writing, interpersonal communication and presentations are key. Today's IT professional is being asked to move from the server room into the boardroom. This person must be able to not only sell a proposal to nontechnical staff, he or she also needs to demonstrate how it affects the bottom line and melds with corporate goals. All in all, they're abilities you won't find in a programming class.

Bellevue Community College (BCC) in Bellevue, Wash., gives IT students projects that mirror those in the real world. One project, for example, had students not only design a network for a school district, but also present it at a management review. BCC even has seven local corporations on its advisory board, including Boeing, to ensure the school produces graduates with relevant, practical skills.

Learn more about the popularity of community colleges, including what corporations such as Boeing add to the mix, by reading the Management Strategies article in its entirety at www.nwfusion.com/careers/2003/0106man.html

Are you the box?
Network World, 11/18/02

Tips from the trenches
Network World, 06/24/02

Melissa Shaw is managing editor of Network World. She can be reached at mshaw@nww.com.

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