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Prepare for Your Future Through CWA/NETT Academy
All of the Bell companies have planned or already introduced Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, which lets customers speak into a handset attached to a computer and carry on a conversation over DSL lines. It won't replace landline telephony anytime soon, but forward-thinking members are already preparing for jobs in VoIP, wireless Internet and other emerging technologies through the CWA/NETT Academy.
More than 350 have already enrolled in the CWA/NETT course VoIP Essentials - a good introduction for anyone who wants to learn about the technology and a prerequisite for a more in-depth course soon to be offered for technicians. Other courses soon to be added are Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) and Wireless Networking, or WiFi.
CWA/NETT Academy allows members - and now their immediate families - to acquire or update telecom and IT skills through a broad range of courses including A+, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Electronics, Net+, Network Security, UNIX and Voice and Data Cabling.
CWA/NETT uses the most modern textbooks available, and has partnered with Stanly Community College to provide certified, quality instructors.
The cost for training through CWA/NETT is at least a third lower than its nearest competitor, and tuition is often covered through collectively bargained benefits, grants or scholarships. The rate of course completion is among the highest in the distance learning industry.
Said CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen, whose office is responsible for education and training, "Its curriculum has evolved as the needs of our members have changed. We believe CWA/NETT Academy could be the most important benefit we offer for you and your family."
Top Rated
A CWA/NETT Academy student, Monique Allen in 1990 started working as an operator in San Jose, Calif., with what is now SBC. She took courses through other training vendors, but was most impressed with CWA/NETT Academy.
"The support I received was phenomenal - the availability of the instructors, the academic resources. And I like it that CWA/NETT works with Cisco, a company with clout," Allen said.
CWA first partnered with Cisco Systems in 1999 to offer the most sought after IT certifications in the industry.
Many students who take CWA/NETT Academy's online courses say their instructors are more accessible through e-mail than professors who teach in classrooms. And they don't have to compete with other students to get answers to their questions.
Allen was so excited about the VoIP course that she recruited 10 of her co-workers to also take it. They provide a support system for each other, and tuition is paid by SBC under CWA-bargained training benefits.
Allen also took A+, Net+ and UNIX through CWA/NETT Academy and said the flexibility of studying online made her course work much easier to juggle while caring for her 6-year-old son than would have been possible with classroom study.
Allen now works as a systems technician in the San Francisco Bay area. The UNIX course she completed this year stood her in good stead. "That's our backbone switch. We deal with it all day. You need to know the ins and outs of it," she said.
Allen has taken her CWA/NETT courses with a college credit option that will allow her to combine the credits with others she earned at community colleges. She hopes to soon complete an associate of science degree in information systems through CWA/NETT Academy and Stanly Community College.
Successes Abound
More than 3,000 CWA members have participated in CWA/NETT Academy courses in the last three years. They tell striking success stories.
Ronda Coston of Local 4700 and nine other women all became eligible for promotion in the SBC TEMS provisioning group in Evansville, Ind., when they passed the company's technical knowledge test, thanks to the CWA/NETT Academy Electronics Course.
David W. Rangel, a Local 9421 member, earned a job at SBC's Ethernet Network Operations Center in Sacramento, Calif., even before he completed his CCNA certification program through CWA/NETT Academy.
And Phil Beskid of Local 1103 in White Plains, N.Y., is now qualified to move up from a CE-2 to CE-3 technician at AT&T when an opening becomes available. Right now he's studying Security+. He's already passed A+, Net+, Server+, Electronics and CCNA. And he's enrolled for VoIP Essentials through CWA/NETT Academy.
Beskid was motivated to study by the requirements of his job. "Customers were looking for certifications. If I walk into their place, they have a right to say, 'Well, I want a CCNA in here, if you're not, then I don't want you touching my equipment."
His course work is paid for by the Alliance, the union-
negotiated training trust at AT&T, so choosing training offered by his union rather than an outside vendor "was a no-brainer," Beskid said. "This is my stepping stone, so to speak. It's great training."
Member to Member
CWA locals have enthusiastically embraced the lab concept, which helps students fulfill the hands-on requirements of courses working with actual Cisco routers and electronics and cabling equipment under the supervision of proctors.
For a few of the courses, a visit to a CWA/NETT mini-lab is required, although online resources are always being deployed to decrease the on-site requirement and increase the remote capabilities of the program. "Hands-on experiences are necessary in any technical training program. We want to reach all members and that's why we have been able to offer mobile labs to populations outside our core cities," said Kevin Celata, the Academy's administrater.
Ron Munford, vice president of Local 6320, was so impressed with his own experience at the Houston mini-lab, he left determined to open one in St. Louis, Mo.
"That just energized me to think we ought to be able to do that here in St. Louis," Munford said.
CWA/NETT lab experience is also available in Washington, D.C., San Jose and Los Angeles, Calif., Cleveland, Ohio, Virginia Beach, Va., Milwaukee, Wis., Seattle, Wash., Albemarle, N.C., Phoenix, Ariz., Denver, Colo., and New York, N.Y.
Registration is Open
Now's the time to check out CWA/NETT Academy on its new website, redesigned to help members assess their current skills level, choose courses that will move their careers forward and to enroll.
"CWA/NETT Academy will offer courses on a semester basis starting in January, providing the same kind of collegiate structure as a classroom curriculum," said Kevin Celata, CWA/NETT training administrater. "Of course, by studying online, our students will continue to enjoy the flexibility of studying day, night or weekends - the times that fit best into their busy schedules."
When you visit the website for the first time, you will be asked to register for a user ID and password. After that, you will be able to assess your skills level through standard industry tests, browse course descriptions and prerequisites and sign up for courses that best suit you.
Visit CWA/NETT Academy today at www.cwanett.org.
More than 350 have already enrolled in the CWA/NETT course VoIP Essentials - a good introduction for anyone who wants to learn about the technology and a prerequisite for a more in-depth course soon to be offered for technicians. Other courses soon to be added are Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) and Wireless Networking, or WiFi.
CWA/NETT Academy allows members - and now their immediate families - to acquire or update telecom and IT skills through a broad range of courses including A+, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Electronics, Net+, Network Security, UNIX and Voice and Data Cabling.
CWA/NETT uses the most modern textbooks available, and has partnered with Stanly Community College to provide certified, quality instructors.
The cost for training through CWA/NETT is at least a third lower than its nearest competitor, and tuition is often covered through collectively bargained benefits, grants or scholarships. The rate of course completion is among the highest in the distance learning industry.
Said CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen, whose office is responsible for education and training, "Its curriculum has evolved as the needs of our members have changed. We believe CWA/NETT Academy could be the most important benefit we offer for you and your family."
Top Rated
A CWA/NETT Academy student, Monique Allen in 1990 started working as an operator in San Jose, Calif., with what is now SBC. She took courses through other training vendors, but was most impressed with CWA/NETT Academy.
"The support I received was phenomenal - the availability of the instructors, the academic resources. And I like it that CWA/NETT works with Cisco, a company with clout," Allen said.
CWA first partnered with Cisco Systems in 1999 to offer the most sought after IT certifications in the industry.
Many students who take CWA/NETT Academy's online courses say their instructors are more accessible through e-mail than professors who teach in classrooms. And they don't have to compete with other students to get answers to their questions.
Allen was so excited about the VoIP course that she recruited 10 of her co-workers to also take it. They provide a support system for each other, and tuition is paid by SBC under CWA-bargained training benefits.
Allen also took A+, Net+ and UNIX through CWA/NETT Academy and said the flexibility of studying online made her course work much easier to juggle while caring for her 6-year-old son than would have been possible with classroom study.
Allen now works as a systems technician in the San Francisco Bay area. The UNIX course she completed this year stood her in good stead. "That's our backbone switch. We deal with it all day. You need to know the ins and outs of it," she said.
Allen has taken her CWA/NETT courses with a college credit option that will allow her to combine the credits with others she earned at community colleges. She hopes to soon complete an associate of science degree in information systems through CWA/NETT Academy and Stanly Community College.
Successes Abound
More than 3,000 CWA members have participated in CWA/NETT Academy courses in the last three years. They tell striking success stories.
Ronda Coston of Local 4700 and nine other women all became eligible for promotion in the SBC TEMS provisioning group in Evansville, Ind., when they passed the company's technical knowledge test, thanks to the CWA/NETT Academy Electronics Course.
David W. Rangel, a Local 9421 member, earned a job at SBC's Ethernet Network Operations Center in Sacramento, Calif., even before he completed his CCNA certification program through CWA/NETT Academy.
And Phil Beskid of Local 1103 in White Plains, N.Y., is now qualified to move up from a CE-2 to CE-3 technician at AT&T when an opening becomes available. Right now he's studying Security+. He's already passed A+, Net+, Server+, Electronics and CCNA. And he's enrolled for VoIP Essentials through CWA/NETT Academy.
Beskid was motivated to study by the requirements of his job. "Customers were looking for certifications. If I walk into their place, they have a right to say, 'Well, I want a CCNA in here, if you're not, then I don't want you touching my equipment."
His course work is paid for by the Alliance, the union-
negotiated training trust at AT&T, so choosing training offered by his union rather than an outside vendor "was a no-brainer," Beskid said. "This is my stepping stone, so to speak. It's great training."
Member to Member
CWA locals have enthusiastically embraced the lab concept, which helps students fulfill the hands-on requirements of courses working with actual Cisco routers and electronics and cabling equipment under the supervision of proctors.
For a few of the courses, a visit to a CWA/NETT mini-lab is required, although online resources are always being deployed to decrease the on-site requirement and increase the remote capabilities of the program. "Hands-on experiences are necessary in any technical training program. We want to reach all members and that's why we have been able to offer mobile labs to populations outside our core cities," said Kevin Celata, the Academy's administrater.
Ron Munford, vice president of Local 6320, was so impressed with his own experience at the Houston mini-lab, he left determined to open one in St. Louis, Mo.
"That just energized me to think we ought to be able to do that here in St. Louis," Munford said.
CWA/NETT lab experience is also available in Washington, D.C., San Jose and Los Angeles, Calif., Cleveland, Ohio, Virginia Beach, Va., Milwaukee, Wis., Seattle, Wash., Albemarle, N.C., Phoenix, Ariz., Denver, Colo., and New York, N.Y.
Registration is Open
Now's the time to check out CWA/NETT Academy on its new website, redesigned to help members assess their current skills level, choose courses that will move their careers forward and to enroll.
"CWA/NETT Academy will offer courses on a semester basis starting in January, providing the same kind of collegiate structure as a classroom curriculum," said Kevin Celata, CWA/NETT training administrater. "Of course, by studying online, our students will continue to enjoy the flexibility of studying day, night or weekends - the times that fit best into their busy schedules."
When you visit the website for the first time, you will be asked to register for a user ID and password. After that, you will be able to assess your skills level through standard industry tests, browse course descriptions and prerequisites and sign up for courses that best suit you.
Visit CWA/NETT Academy today at www.cwanett.org.