3Com Teams With the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to Prepare Students for the 21st Century Economy.

HARRISBURG, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 1999--

Harrisburg Area Community College to Train Teachers

for Network Management Curriculum

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS) today joined with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to expand career opportunities for Pennsylvania's students and create new continuing education programs in computer networking technology for the Commonwealth's residents. At the opening of 3Com's NetPrep regional training center (RTC) at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor Mark S. Schweiker and 3Com's President and COO Bruce L. Claflin launched a broad program that will establish the Commonwealth as a leader in creating a new generation of skilled workers for the networked economy.

"This new initiative continues the Ridge Administration's commitment to preparing students for a high-tech global economy," Lt. Gov. Schweiker said. "The 3Com NetPrep program aligns with the goals of Link-to-Learn by equipping our students with high-tech skills they need to fill Pennsylvania's estimated 8,000 to 10,000 high-tech jobs currently unfilled.

"By learning networking fundamentals to design, build and support communications networks, students in the NetPrep program will be poised to fill high-paying jobs in the `New Pennsylvania,'" Lt. Gov. Schweiker said. The Link-to-Learn program -- Gov. Ridge's three-year, $132 million education-technology effort -- worked with 3Com, a global leader in networking, to offer their NetPrep program in Pennsylvania.

"This initiative will offer new career paths in network technology for Pennsylvania's students and employees," said 3Com's Claflin. "The future of the information industry depends on an information literate workforce. 3Com is committed to sharing our knowledge and providing the education needed to meet this challenge."

Schweiker and Claflin announced the initiative at HACC, NetPrep's first training supersite. HACC's supersite status authorizes them to train other schools in Pennsylvania and throughout the Northeastern United States to offer 3Com's NetPrep program. HACC currently is training teachers from eight Pennsylvania community colleges and vocational schools as well as teachers from New Jersey and Maryland.

"This program reflects Harrisburg Area Community College's responsiveness to the changing needs of the workforce and our commitment to providing students with the skills required to succeed in a highly competitive field," said Dr. Edna V. Baehre, president of Harrisburg Area Community College. "By extending advanced college credits to HACC-bound high school students enrolled in the program, we have created a continuum of learning that will benefit students and their future employers."

Along with NetPrep regional teacher training, 3Com today announced that it will sponsor an instructor at the Commonwealth Technology Center (CTC), providing continuing education programs for state agencies' technology employees.

3Com's NetPrep Program Addresses Future Job Needs

The NetPrep program addresses the escalating need for computer specialists in the U.S. economy, an industry occupation projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to grow by 1.3 million new jobs by 2006. In the U.S., according to the Information Technology Association of America, over 340,000 information technology (IT) positions are currently vacant. By the year 2000, 3Com's NetPrep program expects to be producing thousands of graduates per year to fill this exploding job market for networking professionals.

Developed in partnership with WestNet Learning Technologies and Digital Education Systems, NetPrep is a comprehensive, platform-neutral school-to-career curriculum, which begins in high school and extends into community college and professional network management. After completing the four NetPrep courses offered at the high school level, students may receive a widely recognized, industry-standard certification from the National Association of Communication System Engineers (NACSE), qualifying them for an entry-level IT position. The two-year college curriculum consists of eight specific courses, leading to a Senior Network Specialist certification from NACSE. More information about 3Com's NetPrep program is available at www.3com.com/netprep.

Eight Pennsylvania schools are receiving the training at HACC through the initiative and were strategically selected to ensure all Pennsylvania students and residents had access to the universal high-tech training program. Eleven Pennsylvania schools piloted and currently teach the NetPrep program.

3Com's NetPrep program uniquely offers a seamless transition between high school-level coursework and advanced training opportunities offered at the college level. Pennsylvania students are poised to maximize this benefit due to the collaborative relationships between the Commonwealth's high schools, vocational schools and community colleges.

For example, HACC maintains a cooperative relationship with the Susquenita School District in rural Perry County, where NetPrep graduates receive tuition reimbursement to defray their college costs. In addition, students who graduate from Susquenita may be given college credit for their NetPrep courses if they attend Harrisburg Area Community College and pursue the remaining classes.

Pennsylvania Invests in High-Tech Workforce

Lt. Gov. Schweiker also encouraged students to take advantage of Gov. Ridge's innovative `SciTech Scholars' and `GI Bill for the New Economy' scholarship programs. The SciTech Scholars Program provides up to $9,000 for Pennsylvania students studying technology at Pennsylvania colleges and universities. In return, they agree to work in Pennsylvania for up to three years after they graduate. To qualify, students have to maintain a 3.0 GPA, complete an internship with a technology-intensive company in Pennsylvania, and work in Pennsylvania at least one year for each year of scholarship assistance.

The GI Bill for the New Economy is the second element of Gov. Ridge's plan to prepare Pennsylvania's workforce for the technology-based economy and to plug the "brain drain" of the state's best and brightest students, who often take their talents and energy elsewhere. Through this innovative new scholarship program, eligible full-time students and current workers pursuing associate's degrees at community colleges or two-year technical schools can receive scholarships of $1,000 per year. Eligible, part-time students pursuing associate's degrees can receive scholarships that will cover up to 20 percent of their tuition and fees. To qualify for a scholarship, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and complete their associate's degree.

About 3Com Corporation

With more than 200 million customers worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people to information in more ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers innovative information access products and network system solutions to large, medium and small enterprises; carriers and network service providers; PC OEMs; and consumers. 3Com. More connected(TM). For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com is a registered trademark and More connected. is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other company or product names trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.