He says the material is so new there aren't many graduates in the workforce yet and his current students may be headed for jobs that haven't even been created. That's why he focuses on generic skills and problem solving. The teacher is thrilled when students exceed his own skills. He encourages them to work independently and says they're as comfortable with technology as their parents were with pen and paper. They just know they need these skills for whatever they plan on doing.
Some students already have their foot in the door.
Josh Vanbuskert, an OAC student at John Paul, has been using computers since he was four. Last summer, his skills led to a job doing networking and Web page work for a local farm implement company. After the videoconference, Clark's class will move to its main task of studying computer networks. This class is involved in a pilot program, unique in Canada. By the end of the course the students should be prepared to write a certification exam administered by an outside agency.