Computer Technologies Program The Bridge to a Career
Introducing CTP’s NTST Program
Since its inception in 1975, the staff, board and student body have been proud of CTP’s high placement of its graduates, many with top companies in the Bay Area. This was true both among graduates of the Office Systems Training (OST) and the Programming curriculum. This high placement rate continued beyond 2000 (Y2K).
In response to declining enrollment after 2000, the Networking and Technical Support Training (NTST) program was born. NTST prepares to obtain employment in a technical support capacity.
Students in the NTST program learn how to install, maintain, and troubleshoot computers and computer networks. They also receive training in customer service, documentation, and business communication. As is the case with all CTP courses, students attend seminars on job-search skills, working while disabled, and job retention skills. They will be well-prepared to begin working upon graduation, and moreover, NTST prepares graduates with a variety of disabilities for jobs in fields that are constantly in high demand and far less likely to be outsourced. Best of all, virtually every kind of company that uses computers will need employees with the skills that NTST provides.
NTST offers much more than A+ exam preparation classes offered at community colleges and other educational institutions. The CTP educational experience provides the professional and technical skills students need to get and keep a job which is a result of academic training, practical hands on know how, job coaching and direct experience in month long full time internship working in the field of IT support.
The NTST course, which lasts approximately six months, consists of the following three topics.
- Preparation for taking the A+ Certification exam.
- Practical hands on experience building, maintaining, and repairing computers and networks.
- On-site and remote Windows administration, and introduction to server administration.
Troubleshooting
- Learn troubleshooting methodologies.
- Experience solving real world networking and computer support issues.
- Master security concepts and practices.
Customer Support
- Professional business communication.
- Problem and solution documentation.
- Software installation.
Two examples of job duties that NTST graduates will be prepared for:
Computer Support Specialists:
Provide technical assistance to computer system users. Answer questions or resolve computer problems for clients in person, via telephone or from remote location. Provide assistance concerning the use of computer hardware and software, including printing, installation, word processing, electronic mail, and operating systems.
Network and Computer Systems Administrators:
Install, configure, and support an organization’s local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and Internet system or a segment of a network system. Maintain network hardware and software. Monitor network to ensure network availability to all system users and perform necessary maintenance to support network availability. Supervise other network support and client server specialists and plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures
