Microsoft Certifications Earned at North Carolina High Schools

Next fall, North Carolina will be the first state to offer Microsoft computer training in every high school. Currently, about 30 high schools are using the Microsoft IT Academy —which is a “subscription-based membership program designed to help schools offer students and faculty learning solutions for IT skills training and certification as well as technology essentials for professionals.” The North Carolina students will have the opportunity to earn certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist or a Microsoft Certified Professional.

Even after graduating college with a degree in Computer Sciences, I know that many people spend their free time pursuing certifications such as these because they are either required in order to be hired by a certain company or they bump a person up to the next level of pay scale. While it would be ideal for students to have the chance to be certified with various types of software rather than just Microsoft, I think it is really cool that these students have the chance to leave HIGH SCHOOL with a certification that would actually be worth something in the real world with a real corporation that offers a real salary and benefits. I think this is the new direction for many technical schools serving students 18 years and younger.