Computer Training Academy educates students, helps place them in high tech industry jobs

After graduating from high school, Revere Hawks worked at a major retailer for three-and-a-half years before he realized that he wasn’t getting anywhere with the job.

“I wanted an actual career,” said Hawks, who enrolled seven months ago at the Computer Training Academy in Temecula and is on track to finish in five months as a certified Information Technology Systems Engineer.

“We create the flexibility to individualize the program for each student which creates the fail-safe environment,” said Mike Bostock, director of the Computer Training Academy. “If the student will put in the time, we train them, certify them, and get them to work.”

Bostock said most of their students, like Hawks, are adult students changing careers or are recent high school graduates who want a job in the computer industry, which is known for offering a high pay rate and a high level of employee satisfaction.

With the main campus in Riverside and a satellite campus in Temecula, the Computer Training Academy has been training students since 2002. The post-secondary vocational school provides career training and certification in the fields of information technology, business office applications, and computer repair.

Each of the courses is designed to be completed within six to 11 months, depending on the student’s availability.

“I like the flexible hours where I can come in whenever I can and learn at my own pace,” said Hawks.

The flexibility of the program also gives students the ability to work and go to school at the same time. Bostock recommends that students spend six to seven hours in the classroom with an additional nine hours at home with their Computer Training Academy laptops with pre-loaded course materials.

Bostock said the licensing and certification process is part of the program.

“We ensure each student leaves trained and certified at the expert level.”

Bostock points out that these are vendor-recognized industry certifications that are highly regarded by employers and the licensing/testing fees are included in each student’s tuition.

The Computer Training Academy is part of the Microsoft IT Academy Program.

With an intensive career placement program, the Computer Training Academy begins searching for employment for each student halfway through the program.

“Eighty-nine percent of our students are working before they complete the program,” said Bostock.

The Computer Training Academy offers student loan programs with deferred payments and no up-front fees. Bostock said this arrangement gives the student plenty of time to get trained and begin working in the field before they begin making the tuition payments.

Students may also be eligible for funding from the state or county through the Workforce Development, EDD, Department of Labor, or Veterans Affairs. Bostock said those agencies routinely fund educational opportunities for students at the school.

The Computer Training Academy training center in Temecula is located at 27715 Jefferson Ave., Suite 105A. For more information, call (951) 276-1414 or visit

http://www.CTA5.com.

To comment on this story online, visit http://www.thevillagenews.com.