AUBURN — Central Maine Community College is now offering advanced certificate programs in Network Administration, Network Security and Server Administration. These certificates are designed for students who have completed an associate degree in criminal justice, accounting or computer technology. Each certificate gives students the opportunity to advance their skills and technical knowledge in specific areas.

The certificates are offered in response to the growing need for IT professionals who possess industry certifications and advanced training needed by many employers. Certificate holders will develop the advanced skills needed to qualify for a variety of job options in these three fields as well as in Penetration Testing and Computer Forensics.

The following three-credit, advanced certificate courses are being offered in the spring semester: Advanced Networking Concepts (Wednesdays, 6-8:55 p.m.); Computer Forensics I (Mondays, 8-10:55 a.m.); Intro to Network Security (Wednesdays, 8-10:55 a.m.); and MS Exchange/IIS (Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.-1:55 p.m.). Compute Forensics II, Penetration Testing and Virtual Machines will also be offered.

The spring semester begins Jan. 20. Registration for these courses is open through the first week of classes. Students may enroll full- or part-time and take courses in the day, evening or both, depending upon availability. Please consult the academic catalog, available at www.cmcc.edu, for full program requirements. The Advanced Certificates are pending MCCS Board of Trustees approval. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact Emily Butterfield at 207- 755-5375 or ebutterfield@cmcc.edu.

A $13 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor is enabling Maine’s seven community colleges to add new programs, certificates, courses, and short-term training in information technology. The Maine is IT! initiative expects to serve nearly 2,100 participants over the next three years, from displaced workers seeking to gain new marketable skills to IT professionals working on additional industry certifications.