Tuition assistance available for IT training through Vermont Information Technology Center and Champlain College

Do you need additional information technology education to move up the career ladder? Have some IT experience but need more to land a job? Through a new federal grant, the Vermont Information Technology Center may be able to help.
Vermonters are invited to apply for high-tech training and substantial tuition assistance from the Governors IT Training Initiative, which is a collaborative effort of the Vermont Information Technology Center (VITC), Champlain College, the Vermont Department of Labor and the Human Resources Investment Council. It is funded by the Presidents High Growth Job Training Initiative in the U.S. Department of Labor.
For qualified employed individuals, up to 70 percent of tuition costs for an IT professional certificate--available on campus in Burlington or online from anywhere in Vermont--will be covered under the grant. Additional tuition assistance may be available through a student's employer. For qualified unemployed and dislocated individuals, 100 percent of tuition costs will be covered under the grant.
Applicants can choose from the following professional certificate programs at Champlain College: Computer Networking; Computer & Digital Forensics*; e-Business Management*; Foundations of Network Design*; Global Networks & Telecommunications*; Information Security*; Internet; Network Administration; Java Development*; Managing through Information Technology*; Multimedia & Graphic Design; Software Development*; Web Production*; Web Programming*; Website Development & Management*; and Wide Are Network Management. Those programs with an asterisk are available both on campus and online. Tuition assistance is not available to current Champlain College students.
In order to maintain a competitive edge and operate more efficiently, employers want computer specialists who are knowledgeable about the latest technologies and are able to apply them to meet the needs of businesses. They require IT professionals who can use technology to communicate with employees, clients and consumers, said VITC director Dave Binch.
Binch noted that as companies adopt more sophisticated and complex information technology, the U.S. Department of Labor expects IT employment to grow by 36 percent by 2012. In that same time period, Vermont labor market projections indicate that there will be more than 4,500 people employed as software engineers, network systems and data communication analysts, and computer support specialists.
Champlain College's professional certificates offer industry-recognized, concentrated skills training for incumbent IT workers who need to increase their occupational expertise, or for job seekers in need of the quickest route to new career opportunities in IT. Students take between eight and 24 months to complete a certificate, depending on factors such as the number of courses taken per semester, number of courses required per program, prerequisite courses required, or the availability of required courses.
Interested applicants can contact VITC at (802) 865-6402 to learn more about the Governors IT Training Initiative grant program. Champlain College's spring semester starts January 9.