Certiport News
State University of New York ATTAIN Receives Certiport's U.S. Testing Center of the Year Award
SUNY ATTAIN Recognized for Training and Certifying Local Residents on Microsoft Office Specialist and Microsoft Technology Associate Exams
AMERICAN FORK, UT – September 7, 2011
Certiport, the official test delivery solution provider for the global workforce and academic markets, presented the first U.S. Certiport Authorized Testing Center of the Year Award to the State University of New York's (SUNY) Advanced Technology Training and Information Networking (ATTAIN) operated by the University Center for Academic and Workforce Development (UCAWD). SUNY ATTAIN is designed to promote digital parity in New York's economically challenged communities and has been highly successful in delivering Microsoft® Office Specialist (MOS) and Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification to the community in Buffalo, NY.
"SUNY has been very successful in equipping local residents with technology skills through industry recognized certification as part of the ATTAIN project," said Ray Kelly, CEO, Certiport. "Both Certiport and SUNY recognize that technology skills, and specifically Microsoft Office certifications, can level the playing field for individuals competing for quality employment opportunities. These skills are vital in today's distressed work environment, especially in a community like Buffalo where the regional unemployment rate is over nine percent."
ATTAIN is a network of technology laboratories located across New York States' most economically challenged urban and rural communities. In particular, the University of Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center ATTAIN Lab has been a strong force in training and retraining the distressed community, offering tuition-free courses to economically disadvantaged individuals. Since the ATTAIN project began to offer Microsoft certification three years ago, the University of Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center has certified over 275 individuals in MOS and 27 in the new MTA program, leading all ATTAIN labs in certifications in 2010.
"Our goal is to not only certify students, but to narrow the digital divide by providing access to education and training through the use of technology," said Carol Posluszny McPeek, Lab Manager, University of Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center ATTAIN. "The MOS and MTA certifications are important tools in furthering that goal, and we are honored to be recognized with this award from Certiport for our efforts. We use certification as a means to better our community, and the success of our students continues to prove that earning certification is directly tied to gaining employment."
To meet the diverse needs of their students and the community, SUNY ATTAIN offers various training options including a traditional 6-week course, 3-week boot camps and 3-hour seminars. The courses utilize Certiprep practice materials and allow students to select the study program that works with their schedule. Every course aims to help students achieve Microsoft certification.
The U.S. Certiport Authorized Testing Center of the Year Award will be given annually to recognize testing centers that have excelled in certifying individuals and making a significant impact in their community.
About Certiport
Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, is the leading provider of certification exam development, delivery and program management services delivered through an expansive network of over 12,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide. Certiport manages a sophisticated portfolio of leading certification programs including: the official Microsoft Office Specialist certification program, the Microsoft Technology Associate certification program, the Microsoft Certified Educator program, the Adobe® Certified Associate certification program, the Adobe® Certified Expert program, the HP Accredited Technical Associate, the CompTIA Strata™ IT Fundamentals, the Autodesk Certified User certification program, the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User certification program, and the IC³ Digital Literacy certification. Certiport reliably delivers over three million tests each year throughout the secondary, post-secondary, workforce, and corporate technology markets in more than 148 countries and 27 languages worldwide. For more information, please visit www.certiport.com or follow Certiport on Twitter at www.twitter.com/certiport.
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Press Contact:
Brenda Armstrong
1.801.602.0305
barmstrong@certiport.com