NewHorizons Skillbuilder II Program 1

[StaplesMan]

Has any one used New Horizons? Can give advice on the Skill Builder II Program?

I recently mailed in my resume to a local New Horizons office to see if they had any position for me. And I received a called. Dropped by the other day for an interview and they told me that they are in the process of looking for 5 people to go through there Skillbuilder II Program.

The program will get me my A+ (which I could complete new if I wanted I have already tested on my own and have passed).

Also includes N+
MCSA Server 2003
Security +
Cisco CCNA

After completing the A+ and N+ they will attempt to provide me with a job around 15-18 per hour and after completing the 6 month course I will get a job around 45 -55 K a year. After this they will provide 2 years of "Job Placement Assistance" to support me at my new job and help me look for a better job if needed.

It all looks good but for a lone of $13,000 I'm really thinking about it before I go into it. I must let them know by next week.

Any advice? Is this good? Is it not good?
Cisco CCNA

After completeing the A+ and N+ thay will attempt to provide me with a job around 15-18 per hour and after compleating the 6 month cource I will get a job around 45 -55 K a year. After this thay will provide 2 years of "Job Placement Assistance" to support me at my new job and help me look for a better job if needed.

It all looks good but for a lone of $13,000 I'm really thinking about it before I go into it. I must let them know by next week.

Any advice? Is this good? Is it not good?

 

[StaplesMan]

Sorry.. I copy and pasted my post out to spell check it and then dropped it back in. Well I guess it didn't work correctly so some of it is doubled. Sorry!!!

Thanks for any advice anyone can give.

 

[Wishdiak]

StaplesMan,

Having gone through a similar program at a different school, er company, here are some thoughts.

1. The $13,000 is a high price if you're paying in US dollars. Granted, I was in school from the summer of '05 until February '06, and there is inflation, but that much money for those certs still seems high. I got all of the above (substituting Linux+ in my case for A+ in yours) for $10,000 US. Conveniently, I had a government grant, so I paid nothing out of pocket.

2. The $45-55k job assumes that you a) have passed all of the above certifications, b) have relevant experience, and c) get lucky with an interview. Just having the certs does not guarantee you that salary range.

3. Ask them specifically what kind of job placement they provide, and what the placement rate is. I know that in many states, New Horizons is required to keep placement information, since they get some training money from unemployment.

The school I attended sends out weekly email messages, with all the listings compiled from the same sources I've already looked at (Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, local papers). It's a complete waste of bandwidth.

4. What time frame is there for testing beyond the six month course? If the course ended, and you didn't have a few of the certs, how long would you have to take them?

5. Most importantly, how many exam vouchers does New Horizons pay for? If you fail an exam three times, will they pay for it a fourth time?

I'm planning to take 70-294 at a New Horizons testing center on Thursday. I'll see if any of the above is in their literature.

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[StaplesMan]

Thanks for your insight! They guarantee passing the Certifications and will pay for two Vouchers per item.

And yes I have 6+ years experience, but the thing is I have already looked and received possible job offers for 40-50k so I feel the price range would be correct.

I have thought it over the last couple days and I feel your correct the price is very high and really I wouldn't be any further ahead then I am now.

I'll be very interested in what you find out after you ask them. And yes it is US dollars, it's in Indiana.

 

[Wishdiak]

StaplesMan,

$40-50k seems a reasonable offer if you have 6 years of experience and A+. $45-55k for a few certs and zero experience (which seems to be their sales pitch) does not.

While classroom time does help to prepare for MCSE and CCNA, these are things that one could obtain on one's own for well under the $13,000 price tag that New Horizons charges.

I don't have any experience with their company, it's just a convenient place for me to take exams. I'll see if they have any literature about this program when I go there this afternoon.

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[Wishdiak]

Update: I scored only 565 on the 70-294. I've heard that the worse people do, the longer it takes to do it. Such was the case with me. It took me a full 90 minutes to score 565 on only 39 questions.

I found the simulations to be somewhat strange. Some of them required using the GPO editor snapin, while others did not allow the GPO editor snapin for editing GPO settings, even though it was in the start menu. Right-clicking an object in Active Directory Users and Computers and then clicking properties (which is how I'd usually look at what GPO's are linked to an OU) was useless.

After that fail came up on the screen, I had no real interest in obtaining any literature from New Horizons. Their price tag still seems high to me, but they do have a nice facility where I was earlier. My only complaint about the testing room is that it's right next to the front door/reception desk and no effort was made to soundproof it.

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[HutchHutchison]

55K seems absolutely out of the realm of reality. Just my opinion. I have my MCSA 2003 and 55K is what someone "might" pay me.

As an alternative, CED Solution bootcamp.

http://www.cedsolutions.com/

Check it out. They have various programs to get various certifications. I met someone who went to the MSCE2003 boot camp. $7,000. Two weeks. Something to look at...

 

[StaplesMan]

Thanks for everyones advice. And sorry about the Testing Wishdiak. Good luck next time.

But I have decided not to go with the plan and simply start one by one doing some testing on my own.

Thanks again.

 

[Wishdiak]

StaplesMan,

It certainly doesn't hurt to take the initiative and do it yourself. Good luck with those certs!

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[schase]

I had a bad experience with New Horizons. To the tune of I gave them a check for 2K, and two days later they closed the doors.

I ended up *getting* training - if you call it training inside a trailer attached to a local hospital. They didn't honor their promises to provide a computer for the folks who bought that package.

Many people never got the training they paid for.

"Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"

Stuart
A+, Net+, Security+

 

[Storyteller]

Hello All,
Although not all New Horizons are bad, there appears to be enough that give the rest a lousy name.

Here is a link to look at:

http://www.newhorizonssucks.net/

 

[Lilliabeth]

I would beware of training centers selling large packages, especially to people who have not previously trained there.

Statistically, you are very likely to fail. They will then have your $13000 and no obligation to provide the training or to find you a job. Do you suppose they know this and are counting on it?

See if they will let you take one class (your pick - and you should not pick A+). If you like this instructional style, they have to let you include the class in the package. If you don't like it, you pay for the one class and be done.

If they hesitate to do this, isn't that telling?

 

[StaplesMan]

WOW Thanks for this information!

 

[macleod1021]

The easiest way to tell if a training center is a rip-off is to compare them to this statement:

Come to XXX training and get your XXX Certification and make XXX dollars a year, even if you don't know how to use a computer.

If their statement resembles this, stay away. EVERY certification out there tells you that you should have a minimum of 1 year of hands-on experience before taking the test. The Premier Certifications (MCSE,CCNE, MCSD, etc) usually recommend 5+ years of hands-on before attempting.

 

[Wishdiak]

Come to XXX training and get your XXX Certification and make XXX dollars a year, even if you don't know how to use a computer.

Another telling sign is that a company might guarantee that you'll pass the exam in the large print, and then limit how many attempt they'll pay for in the small print.

There are no guarantees that you'll pass any exam, but a reputable company should be upfront about how many voucher they'll give you for the up-front tuition rate.

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[macleod1021]

I'd have to say the BEST way to get into a high paying IT job is to work . Go out, get you a help desk job somewhere and get experience. The reason I suggest help desk is because it gives you a wide range of experiences. Typically, companies will have 3 or more levels of IT in their company; help desk, administration, engineering. As you start to learn, go get a couple of tests done and try to get into the next level up. If you're company isn't real fond of promoting from within, no biggie. Just do your time (around 6 months) and then apply for a step up in another company. Rinse and repeat.

There's only one job that I know of that will pay someone a lot of money when they have no experience. That's the Auto Industry with their unions. Oh wait...They're all going bankrupt at the moment. That might not be a viable choice.