Zafar
Khizer’s passion to provide a good education for his
information technology students at PC Age means going beyond
teaching them to pass a certification test.
"With
our entire structure we are really making you a network engineer,"
he said. "All of the rest of the world is selling MCSE
certification. It’s a major difference in basic philosophy."
Khizer,
the founder and owner of PC Age, a career school with locations
in Parsippany and Edison, N.J. believes students need a solid
foundation in network engineering.
"Schools
should be teaching network engineering," Khizer said.
"To most schools MCSE certification means students pass
the test and become a Microsoft certified engineer. But when
they go into the real world they cannot get a job because
companies are not looking for a piece of paper. They’re
looking for people who can solve a problem.
"Our
focus is that you should become a network engineer. You have
to learn the skills to work as a network engineer."
PC
Age, which has 400 students, specializes in network engineering
training and training products. The school’s courses
include networking fundamentals, PC installation, upgrading
and troubleshooting, Windows 95, Windows NT, Internet Information
Server and Cisco router configuration.
The
program prepares students for four certifications: A plus
(Certified PC Technician), Certified Novell Administrator
(CNA), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Cisco
Certified Network Associate (CCNA).
When
students become too concerned with passing tests, Khizer’s
philosophy is to remind them that they are in class to become
network engineers, not just pass a Microsoft test.
"You
have to learn the skills to do your job," Khizer said.
"Certification is another plus which will get you the
interview, but not help you do your job."
Khizer
tailors his courses to the needs of his students and market
demand. He added 100 hours of instruction to the school’s
course, without charging students more, because he saw that
students enrolling had less experience with computers than
previous students.
"No
wonder we are the No. 1 fastest-growing computer school in
the U.S.A.," Khizer said.
The
school has also adjusted its curriculum to reflect market
demand.
"Three
years back we were focusing more on Novell," Khizer said.
"Now we teach only one Novell course. We weren’t
teaching Microsoft, now we teach six courses in Microsoft.
And because of the popularity of Cisco routers, we’re
making changes based on that market.
The
school’s instructors are Microsoft certified. Students
have access to the school’s world-class certification
test preparation software and computer-based training programs.
Much
of the students’ work is hands-on, and they can study
in the school’s lab seven days a week.
"We
don’t give you any excuse," Khizer said.
The
school only accepts students who score 50 percent or higher
on an aptitude tests that Khizer introduced several years
ago.
"I
am always like a scientist or inventor," he said. "I
want something that works. We only take people we know can
succeed.
"A
very high percentage pass the test," he adds. "It
also tells people the different categories they are best for."
The
school’s training program prepares students for jobs
ranging from PC technician to network engineer, and the test
points students toward the job that’s best for them.
All
of the students enrolled in the school are making career changes.
They are from "all over the place," Khizer said,
which can make it difficult to market the school’s courses.
"We’ve
found newspaper advertisements are the best way to get them
here," Khizer said.
Once
the students find the school, the vast majority stay. PC Age
has an 88 to 90 percent retention rate, Khizer estimates.
"This
is a great hope for people who were making low money and had
no college degree or chance for advancement," he said.
"They can become Microsoft or Novell certified and get
a job for an average of $37,000."
According
to school’s 1998 survey, 94 percent of its graduates
passed the MCSE and Novell certification tests the first time.
"The
reason is not only quality of training but the quality of
our self-study and test preparation products," Khizer
said. "Our computer-based training and test preparation
software is one of the best on the market.
"I
can say without any doubt no company in the world knows MCSE
certification training better than PC Age," he adds.
"We started in 1992, before most schools knew what MCSE
certification was. We started with Novell, and now offer Microsoft
and Cisco training."
Khizer
has written 17 training manuals that are used in universities,
computer training schools and companies around the world.
In
the early years of the school, writing and teaching made things
hectic. Khizer would write a chapter in longhand, give it
to an assistant to type and go to teach a class. He would
give the students a break and get the pages off the printer.
His
students didn’t mind.
"One
said. `You care more about us than we do about ourselves.’
Class was from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and it would be 10:30 p.m.
and I was still teaching, saying, `You’ve got to understand
this.’ ‘’ Khizer said.
"People
ignored that because they realized how much I cared about
them."
