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Orientations Open in April for Free IT Summer Program

April 7, 2022

 

IT Student | Photo Courtesy of San Diego Workforce PartnershipSan Diegans interested in computers and information technology (IT) can start training this summer for the well-paying career field. A tuition-free IT program at San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) prepares students to enter the workforce within four to eight months.

All prospective students should start by attending an orientation, which will be held Tuesday, April 19 through Zoom.

A+ (Cisco IT Essentials), N+ (Basic Network Configuration), and the Intro to Cybersecurity certificate programs and courses will begin on June 13, 2022. These classes provide a pathway for entry points into the security administration and cyber professions as well as prepare students for SDCCE’s Cybersecurity Analyst certificate program offered in the fall.

At SDCCE, students can earn an IT certificate at no-cost, including Cybersecurity Analyst, Virtual Datacenter, and Cloud Solutions AWS-Associate. New students are encouraged to start with the Desktop Technician Certificate Program at SDCCE to become familiar with managing and securing computers and basic network infrastructures. Working IT professionals often enroll directly into the Cybersecurity Analyst certificate programs.

“Earning the Cybersecurity certificate from SDCCE, combined with other certificates and experience students may have, will qualify them for positions as an SOC Analyst in security operation centers (SOCs) around the San Diego area for companies such as Security On Demand, Sony Security Operations Center, and many others,” said Alphonso Brown, SDCCE faculty and President and CEO of ALCA IT Solutions.

Employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 13 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These occupations are projected to add about 667,600 new jobs. Demand for these workers will stem from greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, and information security.

SDCCE has been designated a Preferred Provider for information technology (IT) and cyber talent by CyberHire. San Diego Workforce Partnership, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp, and the Cyber Center of Excellence have joined forces to launch CyberHire — a program designed to address the region’s growing demand for Cybersecurity skilled workers by creating accessible pathways that are available for job seekers who are under resourced and underemployed.

SDCCE Cybersecurity Student Jessly AltamiranoSDCCE’s partnership with CyberHire is benefiting Jessly Altamirano, who has dreamed of working in the technology field since she was 12 years old. She came to the United States (US) from Managua, Nicaragua two years ago to protect her family from the country’s worsening political crisis.

Altamirano, 39, holds a bachelor’s degree of engineering and information technology from the Catholic University Redemptoris Mater (UNICA), a private university located in Nicaragua. “My degree is not certified in the US. When I arrived in San Diego, I started to look for programs that would help me find a job,” she said. Altamirano enrolled in the Cybersecurity Analyst certificate program at SDCCE. “Even though the college is free, the classes are hard to get into, you really have to show commitment. When you see all the doors that open, it is worth it.”

After graduating from SDCCE, Altamirano became employed by AppFolio, a cloud-based property management software company as an associate security analyst. “The career training at SDCCE and the job opportunities that became available to me exceeded my expectations,” she said. “I want to show my daughter that you can be an immigrant and a woman, and become anything you want.”

To learn more or to sign up for orientation visit, SDCCE.EDU.

Allura Olympia Garis
619-319-0209
alluragaris@gmail.com