College gets accustomed to new Microsoft training

Custom MicroSystems of Fayetteville is not just the only Microsoft-certified training and education center in Northwest Arkansas any more.

It’s also now the only Microsoft CTEC partnering with an area college for the purpose of offering on-campus classes. Custom MicroSystems will begin teaching its high-end certification courses this March at NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Rogers.

The news comes amid a wave of media attention following a call from Gov. Mike Huckabee for more technically skilled workers to fill information technology, or IT, jobs in Arkansas. The increased accessibility of programs like this coincides with one of the Arkansas Economic Development Council’s goals — to fill those jobs with as many Arkansans as possible.

Custom MicroSystems began a similar partnership in December with Garland County Community College in Hot Springs, where two faculty members have already passed their first CTEC course tests. Twelve people have participated in the program at Garland so far, and the reviews have been super.

But the prospect of having two outlets for IT training in Northwest Arkansas’ ultra-competitive market is even more crucial. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. alone employs more than 1,500 IT workers at its Bentonville headquarters.

Mary Ann Shope, director of NWACC’s Work Force Development Institute, says her department decided to incorporate Custom MicroSystems’ courses because of feedback from the institute’s clientele. With a student body consisting almost completely of non-traditional students from area businesses and corporations, the institute needed more training in disciplines like Microsoft, Oracle and Unix. Custom MicroSystems had both the resources and personnel to conduct the courses, making the fit a no-brainer.

The classes last about one week and cost around $2,000 each. It takes one class to become a “Microsoft Professional” and the entire six-week program — comprised of four required classes and two electives — to become a Microsoft-certified system engineer. The program may be completed over a period of months so students may utilize after-hours labs and study for each level’s testing.

Custom MicroSystems, which also serves as an engineer deployment center, computer retailer and is the only official Sylvan Testing Center in Northwest Arkansas, uses only certified Microsoft instruction books and trainers. Knock-off books are readily available at chains like Barnes & Noble Booksellers or B. Dalton Bookseller, but only Microsoft-certified training and education centers are supplied with the software company’s official literature.

According to Microsoft analysts, America’s corporate base is experiencing a tremendous shortage of technical professionals nationwide. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently reported there are about 346,000 IT job openings in the country.

Terry Johnson, co-owner of Custom MicroSystems, says certified system engineers with no previous experience are starting technical jobs with salaries beginning in the $30,000-range and additional, on-the-job training is helping them “move to the 60s and 70s very quickly.”

Many companies are looking for professionals who contribute immediately by setting up Microsoft systems and networks. It might take several years for a worker’s business degree to pay off for a company, but technology training may have immediate practical applications.

Most colleges have not started their own high-tech training seminars, either because of the costs involved or the lack of certified instructors. But colleges simultaneously give money and help to meet IT demands by partnering with enterprises like Custom Microsystems.