Microsoft donation benefits Oklahoma Career Tech students.

Thanks to a major software donation from Microsoft Corporation and a commitment by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, students in the state's schools who are interested in a career in software development will have the opportunity to learn using the same professional tools used by Microsoft developers. And there will be no cost to the students for the software, which usually costs $400.

According to Linnie Berkenbile, state program specialist for the CareerTech Business and Information Technology Education (BITE) programs, "Microsoft wants to get people involved and trained in the software, so they will use it. Part of the agreement was for us, as the coordinating agency, to get the word out to instructors across the state and provide the space for the training to take place."

To help get students registered for the software and training, the Oklahoma CareerTech agency has sent letters to all teachers and administrators at technology high schools informing them of the opportunity. Interested teachers could also attend a day of training provided by Microsoft trainers that was held in June at the state CareerTech agency in Stillwater.

For more information about the Oklahoma CareerTech agency, visit www.okcareertech.org. For more information about Microsoft, visit www.microsoft.com.