Industry certification testing prepares GPTC student for job

When Furrh & Associates reached out to Great Plains Technology Center about employing accounting students at the firm, they got more than they hoped for when student Addy Rosado-Contreras came on board.

Rosado-Contreras recently started working for Furrh and Associates while still attending Great Plains Technology Center as an Accounting Services student.

Kimberly Furrh reached out to Alanna Prater, Accounting Services Instructor, and Mrs. Prater was prepared to recommend students that would be completing the program in May, but Furrh was ready to employ someone immediately, and prepare for the busy tax season. Rosado-Contreras began in January as a Tax Return Preparer.

“GPTC does an excellent job at preparing students to enter the workforce. It means less time training and more time actually producing at their job; which saves me time and money,” Furrh said. “The quality of GPTC programs is exceptional. The students learn so much more than just the basics of the program.”

Last fall, Rosado-Contreras participated in Microsoft Certification testing and recently received the results, learning that she placed 1st in the state of Oklahoma in both Microsoft Excel 365 and Microsoft Word 365. She competed against students from across Oklahoma to earn this coveted placement.

“Taking this certification test helped me prove my skills in Excel and Word, which is a great resume builder and sets me up for success in my career choice,” she said.

By learning these skills, and becoming certified, Addy is prepared to be a better employee.

“GPTC certifications means that I don’t have to waste time training the basics,” Furrh said. “The new employee training can include more technical aspects of the position, which reduces the learning curve of the job.”

To compete in the Fall Qualifier, students aged 13 to 22 were eligible to participate in one of six competition tracks by submitting a qualified, passing score on the Microsoft Office Specialist Word, Excel®, or PowerPoint® certification exams by December 20, 2024.

For more information about Great Plains Technology Center, visit www.greatplains.edu.