In a tight economy, many people decide to take the opportunity to hone their skills by returning to school. Some take courses to update their skill set, while others elect to explore a field that has always interested them or seems more secure.

Matthew Clark is such an example. After completing his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, he decided to use his education benefits under the GI Bill to pursue a technology degree in the area of network and information security at Empire College.

In addition to the traditional coursework in ethical hacking, tactical perimeter defense, voice and retina scans, and virtualization—all of which are an important knowledge base for today’s high tech career—Empire’s program provides opportunities for students to intern and volunteer in the community.

For Matt, this has included an internship with the County of Marin’s Technical Services Department. “Before I started my program at Empire in May 2008, I was a basic user,” says Matt. “Being able to apply the hands-on skills as I approach graduation and the job market is very beneficial. Every day is something new, and I enjoy it.”

Matt has been assisting Marin County with backups, wiring, and building servers three afternoons each week. His supervisor, Technical Services Manager Gordon Haberfelde, says, “Matt has been a great addition to our staff. Empire has given him the tools he needs to do well in what can be a very competitive, challenging environment.”

Petaluma-based IT and managed services company PlanIT Solutions has also benefitted from a partnership with Empire’s internship program. “We currently have two interns—Roberto De Paz and Ken Chapman—working for us in a help desk capacity for our clients. PlanIT Solutions is a great place to get experience with a variety of systems from Mac and PC workstations and servers to network devices of all types,” explains Jennifer King, Director of Operations. “This work not only calls upon students’ technical skills but requires customer service acumen.”

Addressing the hard and soft skills necessary for employment is the hallmark of training at Empire College. Career-oriented education incorporates students’ life skills through project-based learning.

“I've received a lot of positive feedback from employers who utilize our student interns,” says Ryan Donham, Empire’s Information Technology Department Head. “This opportunity, along with the third-party industry certifications we have built into the Empire curriculum, provides students real-world skills to add to their résumés.” 

Adds Ryan, “I am proud that our IT students have embraced Empire College’s culture of volunteerism and community outreach as well. They recently created an on-campus Computer Repair Clinic to troubleshoot and repair computers for students in other majors. The nominal fee they request for the service benefits the non-profit organization Autism Speaks.”"With some additional experience in managing the clinic and the volume of computers they can realistically handle, students hope to offer the repair service to the public. That's education at its finest," beams Ryan.