After completing Continuing Education (CE) classes I have found a full-time job as a Java developer with a government contractor in Austin. For someone like myself, who comes to ACC with significant technical experience, the CE program is the best way to take advantage of transferable work experience to get back into the job market in a new field.



Peter and Norman were great instructors, each very knowledgeable and passionate about teaching. The key to the value of the CE program is in the quality and motivation of the instructors, and I couldn't have expected better instructors. Their choice of textbooks was also critical to my success. They presented a large and complex topic in a practical and understandable style, distilling the material into the basics needed to create basic web projects, while covering enough detail to allow students to continue learning on their own.

I was a student of Java Programming Series for the Spring session that started in January 2014 through September. Though we started off with a bumpy ride since the program was in its infant phase, I ended it up smoothly with the Capstone project that landed me in an internship opportunity! Special mention needs to be given to my mentor Norman Richards, who guided me through the nuances of real-world programming in our Capstone project. The program mainly consists of two parts - first the Java SE and then the Java EE that demand quite a bit of dedication and hard work from students.



The Capstone project comes after you are through the first two stages. It definitely helps to know basic programming before you think of joining this series. Since it is fast-paced, it could prove to be overwhelming if you have no prior programming experience. Last, but not the least, our program coordinator, Marcela Nouzovska's efforts are much appreciated in making this series a success. She left no stones unturned to make sure that we got what we came in looking for, in this program. Overall, I gained knowledge and contacts from this program and definitely recommend to anyone looking for opportunities in Java programming.

When we look at the Central Texas job market, Software Application Development has been the highest in-demand occupation in the past few quarters. In the last year alone, the market for application developers has grown 41%, with over 3,000 current job postings in this area.



With the Java Development fast-track program, Austin Community College is preparing students to take advantage of the significant opportunity that exists now in our Central Texas information technology sector.