Computer Science: Apprenticeship

"IT Students Can Get Leg Up"
EastValleyTribune.com (Arizona), January 17

The National IT Apprenticeship System, a new IT training program at schools such as Mesa Community College, is bringing the apprenticeship model to IT instruction. The new program - sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered by the Computer Technology Industry Association - enables IT
students to get on-the-job training and mentoring advice at a local company. Over the long-term, these types of programs may provide an important competitive advantage to U.S. job seekers.In addition to getting classroom training, each participant gets a permanent performance report, including training records, coaching records, hours of experience and certifications achieved. By completing the program, students also receive a valuable resume tool that verifies skills learned in the classroom. Each school offering the program is responsible for
seeking out companies that want to become partners in the program, providing
internships and supervisors to oversee and document the work of their apprentices.The purpose of the National IT Apprenticeship Program is to make
sure the United States continues to have a competitive information technology
work force in a world where many IT jobs are being outsourced to foreign countries. The program is most likely to provide support for positions such as business analysts, hardware and networking support and database management. Students who might once have been wary of committing to an IT career can now receive an advantage over other peers, including those based overseas.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=34878