Palo Alto also offers a two-year degree in Information Systems, which provides students with a foundation of skills in networking, software, hardware, web page development and programming.

One certificate offered at Palo Alto is in Personal Computing Skills. This certificate requires five courses and is geared toward employees wishing to upgrade their skills. Another certificate available at Palo Alto is in Web Publishing Skills. Six hours are required for this certificate, which helps employees expand their knowledge base of Web publishing.

The new program is called TEEX, which stands for The Texas Engineering Extension Service. This service prepares students to become certified in industry standards of computer repair, Microsoft’s certified engineer program and network administration.

The classes will be offered at the H.B. Zachry Training Center at 9350 S. Presa St. Students can enroll for these programs through Palo Alto, where they are eligible for financial aid and college credit. Students who are not eligible for admission to Palo Alto or who choose not to enroll can still participate in training through the standard TEEX admissions process. Thirty-three credit hours can be obtained through this program: nine hours for Computer Network Service Technician, nine hours for Computer Service Technician and 15 hours for Microsoft Certified System Engineer.

The first program offered through TEEX is Computer Technician. This program is designed for people who have no computer experience, and it teaches them to be a computer technician. This enables you to build, troubleshoot and repair computers and peripherals like monitors and printers. The Computer Technician program gives the student a great understanding of computer hardware and is a prerequisite for the second program.

TEEX’s second program is Computer Network Service Technician. In this program, students will learn about network software, wiring and communications. When students finish this program, they can get a job as a network operator or administrator.

The final program teaches students all that is required to become a Microsoft Certified System Engineer. This program allows the students to go into great detail about the Microsoft networking products. They learn how to design and manage both small and large networks.

When all three programs are completed, students can take several nationally recognized certification exams.

There are many advantages of the Palo Alto / TEEX program partnership. For one, Palo Alto will now offer three in-demand technical careers to students without having to make an investment in program development. Even though these programs are new to Palo Alto, TEEX has been offering them for several years.

Another benefit of the partnership, according to S. Paul Bunzendahl, Palo Alto’s Interim Dean of Occupational Technical Education, is that students are earning certificates, which waive the requirement to participate in the Texas Academic Skills Program of state remediation.

Palo Alto and TEEX will also provide job placement services, according to Jackie Gorman, Division Head of the Career Advancement and Applied Technology Training Division at the TEEX office. "We have a different philosophy about teaching than some other schools. Where other schools might teach their students to pass the certification exams, we teach our students to actually get a job," said Gorman.

Many employer tuition assistance programs only cover college courses, so this partnership will allow students who are involved in the TEEX program to be eligible for financial assistance.

"This is a real opportunity for anyone who wants to get a quick start into the computer field. The knowledge these certificates represent will open employment doors and lead to the start of a profitable career in the expanding field of Information Technology," said John Dunn, Interim Chair of Information Technology Department.

Palo Alto’s President, Dr. Enrique Solis said, "This is a win-win situation for TEEX and for Palo Alto College." Students will receive college credit from Palo Alto and learn the most up-to-date equipment and software available through our partnership with TEEX."

Sophomore CIS major Irma Segovia said, "I think TEEX is a good opportunity for Palo Alto and its students. It’s nice to know you can get computer training at a community college for a reasonable price. You also don’t have to worry about a job because TEEX helps you get into the computer industry."

Dr. G. Kemble Bennett, Associate Vice Chancellor for Engineering, and Director of the Texas Engineering Extension Service, said, "TEEX trains more than 125,000 workers each year with industry-driven programs and hands-on training."

With TEEX, Palo Alto is paving a better road toward success for its students, and this partnership ensures that those students will become well-paid professionals in the future.

For more information on the programs and courses TEEX offers, contact:

Dept. of Information Systems
Palo Alto College
(210) 921-5431

Jackie Gorman
Division Head, TEEX Career Advancement & Applied Technology Training Div.
(210) 633-1006