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Middle Bucks Institute of Technology
Providing Credentials to Students and Proven Value to Businesses
By offering the globally recognized, portable Microsoft Office Specialist certification, Middle Bucks Institute of Technology distinguishes itself as a top technology training school and rich resource for the business community.
Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is a career and technical school that offers Microsoft Office Specialist certification to high school students from four neighboring school districts to help prepare them for the college and work environments.
Adapting to Business Needs
In response to area business needs, in 1999 the school's Occupational Advisory Committee (OAC) encouraged Middle Bucks to add Microsoft Office Specialist certification to its computer-training program.
Dr. David Streelman, Manager of Analytical and Computational Technology at Rohm and Haas Company, emphasizes, "Microsoft Office skills are relevant for all professional employees, from scientists to administrative assistants. To me it's a given that incoming Ph.D. employees have Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint skills. Office Specialist certification helps me confirm that candidates possess these skills."
Dr. Streelman, also OAC Chairman for Middle Bucks, helps the school align its curriculum to the needs of the business community. One compelling need is hiring, and in today's competitive market, he says, "Certification helps narrow the field of candidates when hiring recent graduates. It also levels the playing field for those who don't have job experience."
Area business leaders are very pleased with the certification program and hire Microsoft Office Specialists from Middle Bucks. The Adult Education Division of the school also receives requests for candidates who are proficient with Microsoft Office applications.
Karen Greco, of Remedy Intelligent Staffing, regularly hires students from Middle Bucks and reports, "More than 90% of our clients require Microsoft application knowledge at some level. It is always a bonus to send an associate who has Microsoft Office Specialist certification out on a job. Because our clients don't know the associates, they feel more secure knowing that an associate is an Office Specialist."
Nancy Goth, Instructor at Middle Bucks, says, "We teach what we teach because these businesses have asked for Microsoft Office Specialists." Ms. Goth completed expert-level certification in all Microsoft Office applications to become a Microsoft Office Specialist and a Microsoft Office Master Instructor. "One thing I've always done is make sure I get the certifications first. I become the expert in the room, at least in the beginning. My certifications and business background increase my credibility in the classroom."
Businesses Gain Experts
Stephanie Maurer earned certification in Microsoft Word as a Middle Bucks student and is now finishing college while working part-time and completing Microsoft Access certification. She says, "I'm going into law and know the Microsoft Office Specialist certifications will be a plus. I work as a paralegal for Eastburn & Gray, P.C., the largest law firm in town, and my manager often asks me to complete tasks requiring in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Word. The certification exams require me to know the inner workings of the applications, so I can do any task she asks me to do. Certification makes me a great asset to my employer. It helps me market myself well, produce better work products, and distinguish myself by my command of the applications."
Students at Middle Bucks also compile a portfolio of Microsoft Office projects so that when they graduate they have finished works to show to a potential employer in conjunction with their certifications. Ms. Greco, who placed one of Ms. Goth's students in a job with Chrysler Financial-based in part on his Microsoft Office certification-called Ms. Goth to commend her. Ms. Greco had never seen a high school student with a portfolio, could hardly believe what this 18-year-old had accomplished, and wanted more candidates like him!
Students Gain an Academic Edge
Most colleges and universities require six credits of introductory computer coursework, such as microcomputers and desktop applications. Regarding the recent college credit recommendation for the Office Specialist certification from the American Council on Education (ACE), Ms. Goth says, "Articulation agreements based on certification help us bridge the gap between what we say our high school students have learned and the skills a college wants an incoming student to possess. When my students show up with their Microsoft expert certifications, the requirements are usually waived; they get the credit and move on. This is the beauty of Microsoft Office Specialist certification, especially in conjunction with articulation agreements."
Since Middle Bucks began offering certification in the 1999-2000 school year, computer technology classes have filled to capacity. Ms. Goth, who expects that more than 100 students will be certified by the end of the 2002-2003 school year, says, "Students are highly motivated by certification, because it opens the door to all kinds of opportunities."
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