Kyle Crain attended the Clearfield County Career and Technology Center (CCCTC) for two years, graduating in 2005.
He was a student in the Information Technology program and was the CCCTC outstanding student of year.
During his time at the CCCTC, he said one of the things he learned was understanding how rapidly technology changes.
He also learned how important it is to stay on top of advancements in the field so you always learn the right set of skills and latest information that employers look for in an employee.
Crain chose to attend the CCCTC because he knew he was interested in the technology field. He found it hard to focus on school work, but the CCCTC allowed him to become immersed in the career he was interested in.
When asked what he would tell someone that is thinking about coming to the CCCTC, he responded, “If there is a program area you are passionate about, do not hesitate to enroll.
“Having that focused few hours of hands-on experience in class each day helps to accelerate your growth in the field. It also gives you broad exposure to many different specialties associated with the program, which allows you to get a head start on finding out which particular areas really interest you.
“That allows you to explore the field and find where you want your career focus and goals to be. Don’t be persuaded into thinking the CCCTC is only for individuals looking to go straight to the workforce and not attend college.
“I was able to test out of many college courses because of the knowledge gained during my two years at the career center. It immediately put me ahead of the curve in college courses because I had a solid education in the Information Technology field to begin with.
“The instructors work hard to make sure they are teaching industry standards and using the same equipment you will find in the workplace.”
Crain is employed by The Pennsylvania State University as an Information Security architect within the Office of Information Security at University Park.
Crain is only one example of how CCCTC graduates use their education to strengthen the industry in their field of study.