Buncombe County students and teachers earn more than 2,700 Microsoft certifications

Here’s the press release from Buncombe County Schools:

Over 2,700 Buncombe County School students have earned Microsoft Certifications through the Microsoft IT Academy. Nearly three years after the launch of the program, North Carolina students and teachers have earned more than 100,000 professional certifications.

Buncombe County Schools’ Associate Superintendent Susanne Swanger thinks the program is great for the students and their future.

“Buncombe County Schools is extremely proud of our 2711 students and teachers who have completed this rigorous certification,” said Swanger. “This partnership with Microsoft is a prime example of how business and schools can collaborate to prepare public school students to be Career and College ready. These are great credentials students will take with them to college or the workplace.”

Students who enroll in the Microsoft IT Academy can take two courses, one in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and one in Excel and Access. Currently, 51,000 students are enrolled in these two courses. This past fall, these Microsoft IT Academy courses replaced Computer Applications I, which was the state’s largest elective in Career and Technical Education. In the spring, the state began piloting courses in Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Outlook through a joint initiative of the state’s Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Virtual Public School using Microsoft IT Academy e-learning. It is anticipated that the pilot will launch in the spring of 2014.