With over 125 academies nationwide, the Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) prepares students for post-secondary education and careers through a theme-based, contextualized curriculum approach. Academic learning experiences are combined with hands-on work experience to help students develop the thinking and problem-solving skills so critical to post-secondary education and career success. The AOIT operates as a small learning community, providing a program of study that introduces students to the broad career opportunities in today's digital workforce and equips them with the personal, analytical, technical and communication skills they need to thrive. By introducing high school students to the broad career opportunities of the IT industry, AOIT opens the door to new options, with which students are better able to make sound choices for the future.
Continued GrowthThe United States remains the world leader in information and communications technology products and services with over 10 million people employed in an IT related jobs, indicating that there is still a strong demand for highly skilled IT employees. In the most recent study conducted by the Information Technology Association of America (May 2003), results showed that the overall workforce is growing, with approximately 86,000 new IT jobs created in the first three months of 2003. Moreover, employers are pushing to hire IT professionals with a solid combination of experience and education.Programming and software engineering positions represent the largest growth area within the IT sector, with technical support, enterprise systems, database administrators and web administrators also in demand. |
Meeting the NeedsInformation technology has an increasing presence in day-to-day life and the need for education to bridge the digital divide is more critical than ever. The Academy of Information Technology helps meet this need by preparing high school students for successful careers in information technology. Through their Academy experience, students gain an understanding of the connections that exist between their education and the workplace. Academy teachers and industry mentors provide students with the curriculum and guidance necessary for rewarding careers. |