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Focus on Careers – Course(s) of Action
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th, 1998
The Star Ledger
Certification Programs Enhance Technical Skills
By Joe Cavaluzzi, Special Correspondent
In the instant it takes to connect to the Internet, the computer
profession changes again. So people who want to work in the
information technology field these days require supplemental
training, technically speaking.
Companies across New Jersey need these kinds of skilled workers, and
several schools in the state offer the type of certification
programs that augment students’ computer and other skills.
Muhammad Zafar, president and director of PC AGE, with schools in
Parsippany and Edison, says surveys have shown that as many as
356,000 computer and technical jobs are unfilled in American
corporations because companies cannot find people with the necessary
skills.
"Companies really are crying to get technical people," says Zafar,
the author of 17 books on computer programming. PC AGE offers
certifications at various levels, including Microsoft Certified
Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Certified Novell Administrator (CNA)
programs. Depending on their certification, graduates can earn
$40,000 to start and expect to earn six-figure salaries soon
thereafter.
A person with an MCSE usually is qualified to plan, implement,
maintain and support information systems in an array of computing
environments using Microsoft Windows NT and Microsoft BackOffice
suite of software. Jobs requiring MCSE include LAN administrator,
systems analyst, network engineer and systems architect. People with
an MCSE certification command an average salary of $77,600,
according to a recent survey by Microsoft Corp.
A+, a certification program developed by Comp TIA, helps students
develop an understanding of computer hardware and computer operating
systems.
A Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) program qualifies
people to become Microsoft programmers, while an MCSE qualifies them
to become Microsoft engineers. Microsoft says that people with an
MCSE command average salaries of $94,000 a year in the Northeast.
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