Robert J F Kennedy

For my funding application to go to school for website design I had to explain why I wanted to take that course. Here is my mini-essay.

I have had a interest in computers since I was a kid and programming using “basic” to create programs I couldnt even run because my vic 20 was not powerful enough. This was before
the internet was even invented. In my early 20’s I would have to connect with sites through telephone numbers. It was around this time that windows just came out, and a friend of mine showed it to me for the first time. Although interested in working with computers I got caught up in daily life and worked in a long line of low paying, entry level jobs. It did not take long to end up being 40 years old, with no education, and no steady income. These days I have dedicated my free time to working online in the field of website design, and in search engine optimization. I have built several websites, and done freelance work for some companies. Since I am self taught there are huge gaps in my knowledge. I realized that I was going to need some formal training. Then I found out through workzone that there was a program I qualified for where I could get funding for retraining. Since I have been in and out of work and was currently unemployed I made the decision to pursue this option. I did some labour market research and discovered that website design is a growing field that does well even when the rest of the economy is suffering. Entry level wages were comparable to what I was making in construction, but with experience I could earn $65,000 + per year. Self employment is also recommended if one wants to increase their earnings, with contracts to build websites being offered every day. Kelowna has several website design companies, many of which are hiring right now. Vancouver is considered the epi-center for website design followed by Victoria. The school I want to attend offers a 8 month course in digital graphics, and website design. This is taught in a classroom setting by an instructor and with hands on training. Practical application of our skills are demonstrated by creating webpages, magazine spreads, posters, and brochures using inDesign and QuarkXPress. By the end of the course we will have put together a portfolio of our work, and then we go onto our 5 weeks of work experience. Most students end up with job placement through this practicum.