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New Tech Schools Qualify Workers for Better Employment
By Hal JohnsonFor Marsha Bucciarelli and Christa Rossi, the road to owning two technology schools began 10 years ago when they were unemployed and came to realize that computers would be essential for any job they would get in business and industry.Being unemployed, the co-owners of Professional Software Training and the recently opened Lakeland Institute of Technology were studying computers in vocational-technical schools.Bucciarelli was a student in the Mahoning Valley Joint Vocational School (since renamed the Career & Technical Center) and Rossi was enrolled in the Trumbull County JVS."I was fascinated with what software could do," Bucciarelli says. "Everything that a business needs to do, they could get from a computer."Bucciarelli is the chief executive officer of the Lakeland Institute and president of Professional Software Training.With computers and the right software, she discovered, her she could run her drapery business in Boardman more efficiently."Now, we're helping other businesses develop the promise of computers," she says.Bucciarelli and Rossi formally opened Lakeland Institute of Technology Sept. 27 to complement their Professional Software Training. Both schools are in the same building in Hermitage, Pa.Professional Software Training, up East State Street from its former site, offers computer and information technology training for businesses that seek to upgrade their employees'skillsThe new Lakeland Institute plans to offer similar training for job seekers and workers who want to upgrade their skills.After nine months of submitting documents to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Lake Institute is licensed to offer Essentials of the Office Professional, Bucciarelli says. Six students are enrolled in classes that start Oct. 18.The 552-hour course includes Microsoft Office specialist certification and professional office protocols, including office etiquette and office politics, the CEO says. The course also includes resume writing and interviewing techniques, she says."We use state-of-the-art computers and software in this," she says, which includes Microsoft Office 2003, QuickBooks and ACT.Although Essentials of the Office Professional is the only course the private school can offer, Lakeland Institute has submitted applications to be licensed to teach other courses. It has submitted the paperwork to be licensed to teach courses for information technology certification, Network+ for networking certification, A+ for computer repair certification, CompTIA for computer hardware and software troubleshooting, and Microsoft Certified Professional certification."We plan in two years to be able to offer associate degrees," Bucciarelli says.Over the last four years, Professional Software Training has provided 4,000 students in many businesses similar IT and software training, Bucciarelli says. Instructors can teach employees either at the school or on site. Professional Software has relationships with more than 100 businesses, she says.Twelve work at Lakeland Institute and Professional Software, each employing six. At the latter, the instructors teach in teams, Bucciarelli says.The school has a computer lab with 12 student computers an another for the instructor. Rossi, executive director of Lakeland Institute of Technology, says her school plans to open a second lab next month. [November dele]The schools are service providers for CareerLink, a partnership of employment and educational agencies to put job seekers in touch with employers seeking workers in training.The opening of Lakeland Institute of Technology "is a wonderful opportunity not only for job seekers, who are seeking the training for new jobs, but also for our employer customers, who can benefit from workers skilled in this," says Angela Lenzi, CareerLink executive director.The computer training area schools offer is limited to the basics, Lenzi says, where the Lakeland Institute and Professional Software offer considerably more in IT, Lenzi says.The schools do not restrict their offerings to businesses and employees. One of the instructors, Elissa Shaner, teaches computer basics to a group of senior citizens. "There's no beginning or ending group for computer knowledge," she says."