Philadelphia-based DPT Business School may have gotten started for ESL and mainframe programming classes, but the curriculum has evolved to include a host of education options, from network security to general business skills. DPT's Paul Ferrise chats about Russian immigrants, security, and staying bullish.

What got you personally interested in doing this work?

I started my career as a Business English instructor in a career school in Philadelphia. I immediately discovered that I really enjoyed working with adult students rather than working in a high-school environment. The adult learner is much more motivated and focused on achieving their goals. In addition, I liked the idea of concentrating the instruction on practical, business-oriented skills rather than on general education.

How did DPT get started?

DPT was started by a husband and wife team 16 years ago. The school was started to provide English as a Second Language instruction to Russian and Eastern European immigrants in the greater Philadelphia area, as well as provide data processing training--hence the name DPT--to those who were in search of new career skills. Over the years, the school added programs in networking technology, technical support, computerized accounting, and medical office administration.

The curriculum was designed to fully integrate technical theory with hands-on training in an effort to produce well-rounded graduates ready for the complexities of automated workplaces. Soon after, the methodology was very successful in helping graduates get jobs. This popularity created an increased awareness of DPT by both employers and students. In an effort to better serve their needs, DPT expanded its programs and facilities to accommodate the trends in business and industry today.

What sparked the transition to such a diversified career school?

In a sense, the school was always a diversified career school offering language instruction as well as data processing training. The school's mission has always been to provide training in new and emerging career fields that offer ample employment opportunities to our graduates. In keeping with that mission, DPT is always seeking out new career training opportunities for our customers.

What kind of training are you putting an emphasis on right now?

We put an emphasis on network technology training right now because we believe that this is an area where there is still tremendous opportunity for our students. We are especially excited about the growing field of network security. We believe that this will become a booming specialty area over the next year or two.

What kind of challenges does DPT face?

DPT is facing the same challenges as all other businesses in the current economic slowdown. We are starting to see signs that the economy is rebounding, and we look forward to the second half of the year.

What do you think is the long-term future of the IT sector?

We are very bullish. We believe that technology has become woven into our everyday lives. Though the nature of the work may change, we believe that IT is a wonderful career choice with tremendous opportunities for those who are willing to work hard at achieving their career goals.

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