In the fall semester, Colby Community College is beginning the Certificate of Completion in Telecommunications Networking Technician program. 

There are no prerequisites for the 15-credit hour certificate, and courses are delivered online. A weekend “boot camp” in Colby must be completed on Dec. 5 and 6 to satisfy the hands-on and certification requirements. The curriculum includes an orientation class, introductions on cabling fiber optic and copper-based systems, and system integrations.

The program is approved under the Excel in Career Technical Education Initiative (SB-155), which provides Kansas high school students with state-funded tuition.

Upon completion, students receive certification through New Jersey-based C-Tech. The company averages a 90 percent certification rate and certified more than 100,000 students. According to a recent Indeed.com survey, the average beginning salary is $17.01 per hour in the United States.

CCC started a similar face-to-face program in the Norton Correctional Facility in 2019 for inmates nearing release.

“With the growing emphasis on remote communication, jobs in this field are expected to keep expanding,” said program coordinator Daniel Blake.

For more information, contact Blake at (785) 460-5537 or daniel.blake@colbycc.edu.