Tech skills are in demand by employers and many people are trying to enhance their current jobs or start a new career with IT education. Volunteer State Community College is responding with a new program for adults called IT Academy. It’s a series of non-credit courses outside the normal academic system, designed to teach people basic tech skills and also provide people who already have an IT background with ways to advance their career. The message from the program organizers is that you don’t have to be a tech whiz to learn tech skills.
The first offering is “Basic Coding for Beginners.” The course is a mini-camp that starts with a refresher of general computer skills and continues with an introduction to Python, a popular general-purpose programming language. Participants will learn how to build a web site and be introduced to some advanced web development skills. It will be held in a two-day session on August 15 and 16. The cost is $79. “We want to make sure things are approachable in this basic coding class,” said course instructor Austin Tice. “I’m designing the course considering the struggles that I went through when I first learned coding. We want to make sure the classroom is a place when it’s okay to ask questions.”
The second course is designed for people who already have basic IT knowledge. “CISCO Certification” is the CCNA 1 Class for people who want to become a Certified Cisco Networking Associate. Students will need to contact the instructor to determine if they have the necessary basic networking skills to enroll in the class. The course is offered on Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning August 26 and ending December 12. The cost is $504.
Because these are non-credit classes and outside of Vol State academic offerings, TN Reconnect does not apply to the IT Academy. However, the courses offered would be a strong accompaniment to a college degree or as part of college degree pathway. IT Academy courses can show employers that adults have the skills needed to be effective in the workplace.
For more information about the IT Academy at Vol State, and to register, visit: www.volstate.edu/it-academy.
