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Learn E-Commerce Skills Employers Want
The newly developed Foothill Internet Technology Program is ideal for workers who are new to the high-tech work force, are looking to completely change their career or have been reorganized by company downsizing. Students who complete the program develop the in-demand skills sets that employers want.
"Internet Technology is e-commerce. My students learn to apply technology to improve their marketability to potential employers," says Foothill IT Instructor Sandi Watkins. "Giving the competitive edge to students means teaching them the critical principles of Web marketing and Web strategy. This is extremely important for small- to medium-sized companies. I want my students to approach an employer with the confidence and training to say ‘I can build you a Web site and you can use it to sell your products.’ But because they have the additional training that Foothill provides, my students are able to help company leaders develop critical Web marketing strategies. Our students also learn how to incorporate the Web site into an overall marketing plan by generating sales and developing the ability to function as a separate unit within the company structure.
"Foothill’s classes are what I call ‘bottom-line learning’—we teach you how to build a Web site for your Brownie troop as well as teach you the nuts and bolts of developing a cost effective, revenue producing Web site that fits into your company’s overall business plan," Watkins says.
Students enrolled in the Internet Technology Program learn how to turn Acrobat files into pdf files, create streaming audio files and use Shockwave to create downloadable files. Students who enroll in the program are from all walks of life and all ability levels.
"You don’t need to be a techie to do this. I started as an artist and so did a number of my students," Watkins says. "You do, however, have to take certain classes that will help you learn about the tools available to you in this medium. And, if you’re an engineer, you should take some design classes to expose yourself to different perspectives. In today’s job market, you cannot have a narrow focus. It’s not enough anymore. The worker who has a broader focus and a wider range of skills in the one who gets the job."
Foothill’s Internet Technology courses include demonstrations, hands-on exercises and lecture presentations. In addition, instructors provide a corresponding Web site so students can leave email for their teacher, pick up notes for a missed class and participate in listserv discussions that continue when classes end. Students can earn certificates in e-commerce, Web design, Web administration and Web programming in 6 to 12 months. An Associate in Science Degree in also available in these specialties.
For information about the Internet Technology Program, call (650) 949-7236. For registration instructions, call (650) 949-7325.
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