This fall, the Fayette Institute of Technology will be offering a new Salesforce certification program through the WVDE Career and Technical Centers to teach adult students the skills needed to operate the Salesforce platform and help them earn industry-recognized certifications for employment opportunities.
“Salesforce is the fourth largest software company in the world, and the demand for Salesforce-skilled workers is projected to produce 3.3 million new jobs in the next three years,” according to Salesforce.
FIT Instructor Derrick Adkins says, “After completing the course, students are immediately added to a list of people that can easily pick up jobs from CentralApp, the company that is hosting the class. They have a queue of jobs, or you could go out on your own to look for positions. You could work for any company that uses Salesforce.”
Adkins adds, “While taking this class, students will learn how to administer Salesforce. They will learn how to code directly and manipulate the software into it doing what you need it to do.”
Prior experience is not necessary to enroll in the course. It requires basic skills to get started, such as navigating websites, typing, and general computer knowledge, as well as some self-motivation.
But the course is rigorous. Adkins cautions, “Before signing up, students should know the class itself is very, very involved, and if you don’t have the discipline to stay with it, then you’re probably wasting your time.”
When it comes to the financial aspect of Salesforce though, the opportunities can be quite lucrative. “From what I’ve understood, the sky is the limit; it just depends on how you approach it. If you are working for a company, working for yourself, even picking up jobs from CentralApp you could be making $50k-$150k. It’s just like anything else; the more you work at it, the more you’re going to make.”
There are three different certifications for the entire course. A student does not have to take all three in consecutive order, but it is highly recommended that they do. All three sections are spaced out evenly, starting at the end of September and running through the end of May.
At the moment, course offerings are limited to three counties in West Virginia. Salesforce’s goal is to have courses widespread throughout the state, so eventually there will be more opportunities for adults who want to be in the Salesforce field.
The current cost of the course is $150 per student, and there are also three certification exam fees, $200 each. Students may retake any exam for $100. Potentially, there are opportunities for funding assistance through WorkForce West Virginia.
The Salesforce course will begin at the Fayette Institute of Technology on October 1st and runs Monday through Thursday from 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Program applications will be accepted starting on September 10th. Please contact Dennis McGraw at 304-469-2911 to schedule an appointment for an application and entrance test.