Asher College is Tackling Information Technology Hands-On

Information technology continues to be a high-demand field. As the need for IT professionals grows, so do the options for students seeking a career. So what sets Asher College apart from the rest?

Asher College offers students a variety of programs which include industry-valued certificates as well as Associate of Applied Science degrees. Students prepare for their careers in a flexible, supportive environment with helpful, knowledgeable staff.

But it is the Information Technology programs themselves that offer students a unique, applied experience, said Chris Anderson, Asher College IT instructor. Asher’s IT program takes a student past the typical lecture scenario. The success of the program is the fact that it is multi-faceted and allows a student to learn and get hands-on experience, stated Anderson.

“In Information Technology, you can’t just read a book or listen to a lecture or do labs. You need a marriage of all three,” Anderson added.

In addition to taking classes, IT students at Asher College have the opportunity to participate in the PC Clinic. The PC Clinic is a service the college provides to the public needing help fixing their computer problems. IT students work on different machines every week which allows them to apply the knowledge they have obtained to real-world situations.

Anderson explained, “Students have the chance to create the glue which ties their knowledge to practice. They receive real hands-on experience.”

Experience in PC Clinic can give students much needed work experience so they are better prepared when they graduate from the program. PC Clinic uses an industry-wide database called Spiceworks™ which tracks the work students perform troubleshooting and repairing computers. This database is used by more than 50 percent of the IT field worldwide. This not only acclimates students to the database which they may likely use in their career, but it captures the work experience the students have achieved that can be shared with prospective employers, said Anderson.

“The magic is they are able to put their experience in PC Clinic on their resume to demonstrate voluntary work experience. We have some students who get jobs because of this experience,” said Anderson. ” I am so excited that students are able to get this knowledge and experience and that it is changing their lives.”

Asher College Information Technology programs include PC Technician, PC Support Specialist, Network Support Specialist, Tech Support Specialist, Computer and Network Technician, Computer Information Specialist, IT Network Engineer and IT Server Administrator. Asher College also offers four Associate of Applied Science degree programs in Computer and Network Technology, Computer Information, IT Networking Engineering and IT Server Administration.

Chris Anderson currently oversees the IT program at Asher College in Sacramento, CA. He has more than 25 years of experience working in information technology and electronics and began teaching at Asher College in 2015.

For more information on Asher College, visit one of their three campuses or their website at www.asher.edu.