Soon students at South Texas College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the Computer & Information Technologies Program (CITP) will have the opportunity to improve their ability for employment in the IT industry by graduating with both a bachelor’s degree and a professional certificate from Google.
A $10,000 grant by Jobs for the Future (JFF) allows students in the CITP program the opportunity to complete a Google IT Support Professional Certificate while enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program.
IT support professionals play an essential role in the lives of people across the world. From installing software and configuring network infrastructure to supporting cloud computing solutions and protecting computer systems from hackers, these professionals are an integral component in every industry.
“The certificate impacts students by creating new career pathways,” said Saeed Molki, Program Chair from the South Texas College Computer Science Department. “It can enhance an individual’s career by opening doors for career advancement.”
Google, in collaboration with JFF, provides grants to community colleges in California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin. The grants assist with the integration of the Google IT Support Professional Certificate into the college’s IT curriculum and align with skills sought by employers.
“Having both a Bachelor Degree and a Google IT Support Professional Certificate shows potential employers that our graduates are truly well rounded and ready to be a productive member of their team starting day one of their employment,” said Dr. David Plummer, Executive Vice-President for Educational Programming and Student Achievement at South Texas College.
South Texas College is one of 100 community colleges across the country and four in the state of Texas currently offering the certificate program.
An initiative of Grow with Google, the certificate program is offered in partnership with Coursera, a leading online learning platform for higher education. The Google IT Support Professional Certificate course focuses on mastering fundamental skills in the IT workforce, including troubleshooting, customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration, and security.
The coursework includes a dynamic combination of interactive learning strategies and assessments, including video lectures, practice exercises, and supplemental reading, to support and enhance the learner’s information technology skills.
The certificate program is only available to students in the Fall 2020 semester as part of the CITP 3306 Internet/Intranet Server Integration curriculum. After successfully finishing the Google IT Support Professional Certificate program, students are eligible to receive a scholarship between $200 to $300.
In preparation for this new offering, the faculty and lab assistants from the Computer Science department have completed the requirements to earn their own Google IT Support Professional Certificate.
“The faculty believes that students will be very excited and enthusiastic about the opportunity to gain credibility, knowledge, and skills,” said Nicholas Hinojosa, Assistant Program Chair from the South Texas College Computer Science Department.
The Bachelor of Applied Technology Degree (BAT) in Computer and Information Technologies (CIT) prepares students for successful careers in the field of CIT. Coursework balances between theoretical and technical competencies associated with the CIT profession to prepare graduates for many demands placed on CIT professionals. The degree prepares students with relevant, technical knowledge of CIT practices, to provide solutions for real-world problems and technical support for computer-based information systems. Technology-oriented coursework will form the core requirements for this program, with an emphasis on the application and implementation of current technologies.
