Training Courses to Start at PSU Resource Center

April 2000
University Park, Pa. – Courses designed to prepare people for careers as cable installers or computer repair professionals will be offered this spring at the Penn State Philadelphia Resource Center, 46th and Market Streets, through a partnership between Penn State Delaware County and Henkels & McCoy Training Services.

The telecommunications program courses are designed to prepare people for work as cable installers, and the computer repair courses are designed to train technicians and to lead to A+ certification, according to Penn State’s Roger Williams, who is now scheduling classes in the Center’s three new classrooms.

"The workforce development courses will begin within several weeks," Williams said. "And the best part is that tuition for eligible students can be funded through the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation."

The new courses are part of a new Penn State initiative to bring state-of-the-art training courses and, later, credit certificate programs and perhaps even degree programs, to interested students in Philadelphia. Williams said he plans to work with existing agencies, such as the Workforce Development Corporation, and other Penn State services, such as the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC).

This summer, Williams said, Penn State plans to offer four credit certificates in business – in business management, marketing management, supervisory management, and healthcare management. All programs are designed for students entering the Educational Opportunity Center.

Penn State courses designed for small and medium size business, such as technology courses including Internet and E-business, and other management and professional development courses are also planned for later this year, Williams said.

"The non-credit courses in telecommunications installation and computer repair are the first steps toward bringing first-rate training programs to a pool of talented workers with great potential," Williams said. "They also provide the opportunity for people to step up to more advanced Penn State educational programs. Through the Educational Opportunity Center, people can learn how to begin a certificate program, which could then lead to an associate degree, and, ultimately, a bachelor’s degree," he said.

For information on the telecommunications installation and computer repair programs, call 215-471-2244.

*****

Contact: Joe Bisconti, executive director of University Relations, Penn State Delaware County, at 610 892 1251 or at