Computer programmers design all program, application, and operating systems software. These three types of software are used by virtually everyone involved with computers. Computer programmers are in high demand, and those with strong skills in C#, Visual Basic, Access, SQL, Java, HTML5, CSS3, JQuery and Program Logic and Design w/Alice 3D, PC Servicing & Troubleshooting, Digital Electronics, Network Concepts, Game Design, Web Design with Adobe CC which includes Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks and Edge are earning excellent pay and benefits.

Career opportunities include:

• Educational Institutions
• Internet, E-Commerce and Web Page Design
• Data Processing Services
• Telecommunications
• Gaming Industry

Karen Christy

Teaching was always in my blood. From the time I was 11, I was always teaching my brothers and sisters to help out at home--there were seven of us. Then in high school, I had some pretty awesome teachers and I liked how they encouraged their students. After I met my husband, Rick, I helped him with his 7th and 8th grade classes while we raised our five children. When the time came for me to go back to school, teaching was my career choice. I like to watch students’ faces light up when they figured out that they could create an application or website or get something to work in code or worked out a bug in the code.

Prior to going back to school, I worked in restaurants as a waitress for 25 years. That experience taught me how to work hard, be organized and work with people. I had also worked various office jobs in at several places including the admissions office at Wichita State University, Columbian Securities, and the Curriculum Leadership Institute in Emporia. I liked these jobs, but my heart was in teaching and computers. As I was earning my bachelors and masters degrees at Emporia State University, I was a graduate assistant and taught Intro to Teaching and Personal Finance. I have taught at Marais des Cygnes Valley high school, Neosho County Community College, Allen County Community College and Emporia State University.

The environment in the CPD classroom is one of hands-on learning. The ability to have smaller class sizes lends itself to the fact that students can get help and lots of attention. Most of the students build a good comradery by the time they are through with their degree. All students, male and female, can become a programmer. Helpful skills include keyboarding, computer usage, general math knowledge, ability to communicate with other students and instructors, and a passion to problem-solve and create. Our program focuses on the five main areas of development, design and programming which provide students with a broad skill base that prepares them for their first career opportunity. Almost all of the software we use for this program is free to the student, so there are minimal supply costs. With the use of Google Drives, students can access their work anywhere that they have internet access.

There is a shortage of 1.5 million programmers in the U.S., and there are very few jobs or careers that do not use some type of computer, so programmers have a nearly constant employment opportunity. Students get to use their creative skills to establish programs that will help businesses like NASA, insurance companies, hospitals, Chrysler, Boeing, pharmaceutical companies, Microsoft, Adobe, and so many more! The sky is the limit on what students can create for fun, production, services and entertainment. By the time our CPD students graduate, they have skills that will help them finish their Bachelor’s degree or get an entry-level job.