A computer college is one of the more recent innovations in education. Only a few decades ago, computers were strictly the property of universities, and vocational level career training in programming was beyond the realm of possibility. Today, there are computer colleges all around the world, and the computer is an essential business appliance in the same degree that paper and desks are. As a result one role of these schools is simply to teach students necessary software. Every department of a company will need employees who know how to use specialized and general program suites, from word-processing and spreadsheets to the utilities used to calculate payroll and create art and promotional publications in sales, advertising and marketing. All these computers need someone to see to their upkeep, as well as write and maintain software, and network computers together. Companies now rely on digital data storage and must employ staff to keep records that would previously been the exclusive province of archivists and file clerks. There is a broad range of vendor neutral certification for people receiving IT training to master, alongside numerous programming languages. IT technicians will be busy between nursing server towers and troubleshooting desktops, and running all over laying acres of cable. Meanwhile large scale production ranging from aluminium house siding to industrial baking also uses machines that need programming, and you’ll find people with IT training in factories just as commonly as in offices. Web design courses are a recent addition to computer college curriculums. Once only the province of self-taught computer experts, an increasing trend towards what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) web page creation means that courses are often bundled as part of a graphic design program, with students learning to use industry standard, mutually compatible design programs to create unified, branded promotions for a company from logo to brochure. Regardless of course offerings, a computer college is only as good as its instructors, facilities and equipment. Look for programs with seasoned industry professionals or people with backgrounds in education as the teachers, and locations that have up to date computers and software. Even though there are some similarities between editions, and there’s value to training on older versions, make sure that your computer college can deliver what employers are looking for. Finally, because of the age of the technology, you’re unlikely to find IT training of any kind with a lengthy pedigree, but look for schools with a solid reputation. Newer programs may provide more innovative material, but when you show your credentials to a potential employer you want a name they’ll recognize and respect, and a school that will still reliably give you your records when you ask for them five years later.