BFIT Blog

Displaced ITT Tech students get back on track

Posted by Anthony Benoit on Sep 8, 2016 11:15:10 AM

The sudden closure of 130 ITT Technical Institute campuses, including two in Metro Boston, leaves 40,000 students displaced with their educational futures uncertain and their families in emotional and financial distress. Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT) has joined federal and state departments of education, and colleges across the country, to help students get back on track.

BFIT is committed to supporting them as they plot a course to their intended destination—a good job in a technical field. Our admissions staff and faculty are already working with several former ITT students to make their transition into BFIT—and on to a degree and job placement—as smooth as possible. For former ITT students, we extended our enrollment deadline to Sept. 16. Click here to apply.

During this time of crisis, let’s not mistake the message for the messenger. The messenger was ITT, and the US Department of Education has clearly found serious fault with how that firm conducted business. However, the message is that our young people, returning veterans, midlife career-changers, and others, need education to fill the STEM jobs that pay well and that are crucial to our economy. The skills gap and the opportunity gap are real.

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Topics: Views

Computer technology offers many career paths

Posted by Larson Rogers on Aug 24, 2016 12:08:39 PM

Today, there is no other field that offers so many different career options than computer technology. The best fit for our grads is to start as a computer support specialist. These experts advise people who use computer systems and software. They might work as part of an IT team or in a help desk role supporting non-IT users having computer problems.

But there are a number of other career paths that open up, especially once these grads gain some on-the-job experience. These include customer service, web development, networking and programming positions. Some people choose to work off-site via a customer service hotline or in a customer service chat room.

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Topics: Computer Technology, Views

New student orientation matters

Posted by Ashley Mansfield on Aug 18, 2016 1:55:26 PM

The transition from high school to college generates a wide-range of emotions for our new students, and understandably so. They will encounter new classmates, new professors, new classrooms, and new course material. They will also develop a sense of independence, which starts the moment they enter the doors of Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT).

College is not easy, and it requires students to take on more initiative and self-advocacy to succeed. This is where Student Orientation can help.

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Topics: News, Student Success

Why automotive techs are in such high demand

Posted by Erin Graham on Aug 11, 2016 9:45:24 AM

By all accounts, job openings in the automotive industry are plentiful. The only problem? Finding enough good people to fill them, according to David Protano, chair, Automotive Technology and associate professor at BFIT. “It’s not just technicians who are needed,” Protano says. “It’s automotive salespeople, parts specialists, service managers—all areas are in need of new hires.”

Dozens of employers across the automotive industry call Protano regularly, looking to hire automotive technicians from BFIT. “I get calls virtually every day from employers looking to hire good automotive technicians,” he says.

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Topics: News, Automotive Technology

Jen is on a mission to help others see well

Posted by Jaime Crespo on Aug 3, 2016 12:12:20 PM

When Jen Hyde visited her local optical shop to order new prescription lenses for her children, out of curiosity, she asked what they did with the old lenses. “When they told me they threw them away, I was aghast,” she says.

Having served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, the Newton resident vividly remembers how difficult it was for impoverished people to access healthcare, let alone eyewear. Jen began to research vision-correction in developing countries and devise ways to provide impoverished people with donated frames and lenses. She volunteered on an eye care mission to Haiti, providing free screenings and eyewear. She also collected donated eyewear in her local community as part of the Lions Club.

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Topics: opticianry, optician

Unleash the power of the associate degree

Posted by Anthony Benoit on Jul 29, 2016 1:37:42 PM

Published in the Boston Business Journal
on July 29, 2016

Chances are that you, the reader, are college-educated with a bachelor’s degree or higher. After all, Massachusetts leads the 50 states with the highest percentage of college graduates in the U.S. at 54 percent.

No wonder that in our well-educated commonwealth, bachelor’s degrees often seem mandatory, with many employers requiring them. Yet for young people in search of lower-cost, faster tracks to well-paying jobs, and adults looking for a career change, the associate degree is a valuable option.

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Topics: Features, associate degree

Tuition: One variable in the higher ed equation

Posted by Anthony Benoit on Jul 19, 2016 3:24:31 PM

The rising cost of college and its acute impact on communities of color have received significant media attention in the past few months and deservedly so. As the Boston Globe reported in its article, “Students at state’s public colleges gird for higher tuition,” the cost to attend a state university or a community college in Massachusetts will go up by 8 to 10 percent this year.

Historically, state universities and community colleges have served a large number of minority students hoping to earn a degree without breaking the bank. According to the Center for Community College Student Engagement, over one-third of community college students in the U.S. are of color – Hispanics representing 18 percent, Blacks at 15 percent, Asian/Pacific Islander at 6 percent; and 40 percent who are first-generation college students. Therefore, this price hike will certainly impact families of color who already face a high cost of living, lower incomes and higher unemployment rates.

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Topics: Views

Technology Business & Management: Bridging technicians and management

Posted by Andrew Wong on Jul 12, 2016 2:00:00 PM

It's becoming increasingly important for companies to bridge the gap between technicians and management. A Technology Business & Management degree gives you the knowledge and skills to become a manager or start your own business.

What is Technology Business & Management?

All industries are striving to be more efficient and effective in their development and delivery of goods or services. In order to achieve this enhanced productivity, companies need better tools and more innovative thinking. Technology Business & Management (TBM) blends the skills and know-how of a technician with the acumen of a business manager.

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Topics: Views

BFIT shares benefits of technical and vocational education

Posted by Anthony Benoit on Jun 28, 2016 4:00:00 PM

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Esin Sile, CEO of MindBridge Partners.

As the rising cost of college becomes a greater concern, more and more students are looking to technical and vocational education programs to jump-start their careers. Increasing demand for skilled workers in construction, medical technology, or automotive technology also means that the benefits of a traditional 4-year degree may not be as practical as the skills a 2-year associates degree can provide.

To get to the bottom of this trend toward technical and vocational education, guest host Esin Sile, CEO of MindBridge Partners interviewed Anthony Benoit, President of Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology about how his school is trying to fill the skills gap.

Interview with Esin Sile and Tony Benoit (FULL TRANSCRIPT)

ETT: Good morning Tony we’re so glad to have you here this morning. Tony Benoit is the President of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology here in Boston and my name is Esin Sile. I am the CEO and co-founder of MindBridge Partners and we are guest hosting a podcast on EdTech Times today with Tony. Good morning again, Tony.

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Topics: Views

Smaller classes make a bigger impact

Posted by Mike Bosco on Jun 21, 2016 2:30:00 PM

Small class size and accessible academic supports play a critical role in helping students graduate. We’ve heard this story so many times. A student enrolls at a large community college or university, but drops out due to not being unable to make the transition, or getting lost in the maze of higher education and “feeling like a number.” It’s not for lack of intelligence or hard work. Students simply do not get the one-on-one attention and support they need to thrive in the classroom and workplace.

BFIT’s Student Success model is structured to help students succeed, especially those who thrive in small, hands-on learning environments. The college’s 13:1 student to faculty ratio is designed to give students direct access to their instructors during class and outside the classroom. Students’ questions can be answered as they arise and not postponed until later “office hours.” You can’t hide or get lost in a small class. Instructors know each student individually and are aware when they are falling behind. When this happens, they can quickly communicate with student services and advisors to get the student the help they need.

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Topics: Views

Previous All posts Next

Displaced ITT Tech students get back on track

Computer technology offers many career paths

New student orientation matters

Why automotive techs are in such high demand

Jen is on a mission to help others see well

Unleash the power of the associate degree

Tuition: One variable in the higher ed equation

Technology Business & Management: Bridging technicians and management

BFIT shares benefits of technical and vocational education

Smaller classes make a bigger impact

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