Ocean County Vocational Technical School & TEC2000 Students Celebrate Achievements

Ocean County Vocational Technical School & TEC2000 Students Celebrate Achievements

School-to-Career Program a "Win-Win" for Students and Telecommunications Companies

June 8, 2000

NEWARK, N.J.-- Representatives of Bell Atlantic and the Ocean County Vocational Technical School joined local dignitaries, families and friends in celebrating the achievements and successes of 26 students headed for high tech careers.

Nine of the students graduated today from TEC2000, a Bell Atlantic sponsored program, designed to help schools throughout New Jersey prepare students for a range of careers that are emerging in the fast-growing telecommunications industry.

Several TEC2000 graduates who are currently working for Bell Atlantic, including Amanda Reinhart, the first Ocean County TEC2000 graduate to be employed by Bell Atlantic, were also acknowledged as part of the celebration.

"The diligence and perseverance of our TEC2000 students and honorees has earned them recognition as some of New Jersey's most talented students in their chosen high-tech vocations," said Dr. Frederick W. Felice, superintendent of the Ocean County Vocational Technical Schools. "TEC2000 is a good example of educational institutions and New Jersey's business community working together to train students for meaningful careers in the workforce of the future."

TEC2000 started in 1994 with 12 students at the Ocean County Vocational Technical School in Toms River, N.J. There are now 12 TEC2000 centers throughout the state in Warren, Salem, Burlington, Ocean, Morris, Somerset, Mercer, Hudson, Essex, Cumberland, Passaic and Union counties. TEC2000 graduates have been hired by Bell Atlantic, Sprint, AT&T and several New Jersey cable television companies as well as smaller networking companies throughout New Jersey.

Peter J. Ventimiglia, Bell Atlantic's vice president for external affairs, said, "TEC2000 is more than a valuable tool for preparing students for careers in the state's booming telecommunications industry. It's also an investment in diversity."

"New Jersey has one of the most diverse populations in the nation. With TEC2000 programs in urban, rural and suburban technical schools statewide, Bell Atlantic is creating opportunities for students across the cultural spectrum, and building a workforce that reflects that diversity," he said.

TEC2000 is designed to provide students the basic knowledge and understanding of communications network design, telephone equipment and computer networks, and satellite and wireless communications services. It offers theory and practice in all phases of the industry with career paths leading toward jobs in telecommunications, electronics, data communications, systems test engineering and computer network engineering.

Students in the program work in a hands-on learning lab that includes complete wiring simulations, a "house" and a telephone pole network.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With more than 44 million telephone access lines and more than 20 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.