High school students get on track for careers in technology with Microsoft training program; Wyoming school district pilot program teaches students real-world skills to qualify for technical support and development jobs

Business Wire, June 11, 1996

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 1996--Six months ago, the most 15-year-old Miranda Hoff knew about computers was that they make writing term papers a lot easier. But since taking a class at Wyoming's Jackson Hole High School to learn about networks and Microsoft's Windows(R) NT operating system, the sophomore now plans to stick with the computer studies that will help her earn industry-recognized certification as a computer professional by the time she graduates from high school.

"When I walked into this class I didn't even know what a CPU was," Hoff said. "But now I can configure a computer network on my own, and I know computers will be part of my future. The class has shown me more possibilities than I ever knew existed."

Hoff is one of nine students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, participating in the high school pilot program begun in January when Jackson Hole High School became a Microsoft(R) Authorized Academic Training Program (AATP) institution. All nine students completed the first class, and seven also successfully passed their first exam -- one of several required to earn certification as a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). Officials from the Teton County School District will tell the story of the pilot program's success today at the National Educational Computing Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., one of the nation's leading technology conferences drawing 8,000 K-12 and college educators.

By becoming a Microsoft AATP institution and incorporating Microsoft Official Curriculum courseware and Microsoft software into their classrooms, educators at the 600-student Jackson Hole High School are providing students with educational opportunities that are both instantly applicable to the technical needs of this rural community - or of any job market - and can serve as a springboard to a college education. AATP offers students top-quality technical training and industry-recognized certification to validate that students have the knowledge to design, implement and support cutting-edge information systems with Microsoft technology.

Currently 139 U.S. and Canadian schools, colleges and universities are participating in Microsoft's AATP, and the number of high schools applying to offer the curriculum is rapidly growing, said Nancy Lewis, director of education and certification for Microsoft. Since August 1995, more than 4,000 students have been trained through the program.

"We know Microsoft's AATP provides a great opportunity for college students or experienced workers to jump-start new careers in technology," Lewis said. "This pilot program in Teton County demonstrates that AATP also is a viable tool for giving high school students technology training that will carry them to further studies in college or successful jobs in the workplace."

AATP Offers Technical Training for Growing Job Market

Microsoft's AATP is ideal for any accredited academic institution that wants to offer students technical training. The vocationally oriented curriculum, which prepares students for performance-based MCP exams, has been fined-tuned to teach students how to develop, support and integrate computing systems that use Microsoft software, such as Visual Basic(R), Visual C (R) or the Windows NT and Windows(R) 95 operating systems.

"Schools today have to be constantly thinking of new ways to connect high school programs with higher education and workplace demands," said Teton County School District Superintendent Sarah Smith. "AATP helps us understand the computing industry and how to track jobs for our kids. It is giving our students portable skills that can translate into a variety of jobs and fields of study."

Microsoft surveys indicate that more than 35,000 positions are currently available - just within Microsoft Solution Provider companies alone - for computer professionals who are certified to install, service and support information systems built with Microsoft products. That number doesn't include the positions available for in-house, corporate technology specialists. Microsoft Solution Provider companies are independent organizations that have teamed with Microsoft to use technology to solve business problems for companies of all sizes and industries.

"I would like to see a program like this expanded into every high school in the state," said Mike Callahan, chairman of the Wyoming Private Industry Council and Job Training Commission. "Business is reactive to training issues now because Generation Xers are leaving school with some exposure to technology but very little training. Our vision is be proactive and to help schools provide students with the skills they need to be productive members of the workforce before they graduate from high school."

Jackson Hole senior Mike Arnold is an example of that vision at work. Already interested in computer technology before participating in the pilot program, Arnold has parlayed his expanded knowledge into a part-time tutoring job for a computer business and a summer internship at a local software company. He plans to continue studying for MCP certification while working on an associate degree through Central Wyoming College. Currently, Jackson Hole High School is developing an articulation agreement with the community college so that work completed towards Microsoft Certification will earn students credit towards their college degree.