[LUNI] Re: Training

[Kurt Isley]

Let me 2nd the nomination for your local community college.

I am going to give a shout out for College of Dupage.  I didn't take any 
Linux classes there, but I did take C++ and a basic and advanced course 
in Visual Basic.

Their equipment is good and the teachers are very proffessional and up 
to date in their knowlege.

You can't get a better value for your dollar IMHO.  It is something like 
$180 for a class.

If you are not sure which direction you should take, talk to one of 
their career counsolers and see what they recommend.  Your tax dollars 
have already paid for it!

I too am leary of the Tech Schools.  Does anyone remember Linux Island?


jadgate at mindspring.com wrote:

>Carey:
>
>I can't recommend a good training option for you (I too am leery of a the
>tech schools out there) but my advice is this:
>
>stay away from places like New Horizons, CSI and the like.  As soon as they
>know you have grant money, they'll be on you like flies on s@#$t, but will
>treat you like the red-headed stepchild once they get the money.
>
>It sounds like your background is mostly hardware based.  If you are still
>interested in that, talk to the VAR's that sell and support the kind of
>hardware you want to work with, and see what training sources they use for
>their workforce.  I would start with something you want to do, rather than
>what *might* be more favorable from current opportunities standpoint. If you
>are doing something you have a passion for, then you'll still want to do it
>and be motivated, even on the days when things aren't going well and you
>feel like you are banging your head against the wall.
>
>Perhaps one of the local community colleges would have a good work study
>program that would be a better fit than one of the local certification
>mills. I've looked into this recently, and I know that Comptia has a program
>with the DOL.  See here:
>
>http://www.nitas.us/
>
>You might be able to create your own apprenticeship or internship with a LCC
>based on what you want to do; I'm not sure what the program specifics are.
>
>I too got a grant from workforce development (unemployment) about 3 years
>ago.  I used it to get my MCSE, but if I could do it over again, I'd choose
>something else.  But then again, I don't think that anyone would have
>predicted that the overall job market in 2004 would be as tough as it was in
>in 2001 and 2002.
>
>Good luck,
>
>Jim Adgate
>
>  
>