Kitchen Design and Top-Quality IT Courseware

Prior to joining TestOut, for 17 years I was an interior designer specializing in kitchens. There is a lot to consider when designing a kitchen — the materials, methods of construction, and a whole lot of preparation. When someone would ask me to design their kitchen I always discussed the importance of three things: using the right materials to get the end look desired, the time that would be required to do the job, and especially the cost.

I would warn my customers that, regardless of how great the design, if they chose to use the wrong materials, or couldn’t afford the time and cost, then they wouldn’t be happy with the results. As an account manager for high-schools, I’m kind of still doing the same thing, warning my customers about materials, time and cost.  

One of my more enviable tasks is working with SkillsUSA — a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure that America has a skilled work force. More precisely, I facilitate the use of TestOut’s LabSim courseware, and LabSim’s Custom Exam feature, for statewide competitions. Winning at the state level means you get to move on and compete at Nationals. An added bonus of being at the national competition is that students can earn IT certifications by passing various exams.    

State-level competitions are great, but the national event is absolutely amazing — thousands of high-school students working, in teams and as individuals, to solve real-world challenges. These are some of the brightest young people you'll ever meet. They are thrilled to be competing, and it’s exciting to meet them and their instructors.

When they see us at an event, they always come over and tell us how much they like our courseware, and how well it helps them to prepare. Students and teachers alike share success stories from using TestOut in preparation not only for competitions, but also for gaining real-world skills which are in high demand.

TestOut’s reputation is well deserved. We offer training that is structured and presented in such a way that it meets the three requirements of preparing students to pass certification exams: the right materials, the time required, and especially the cost.  

• Our courseware gives students a high-quality, comprehensive, and thorough coverage of the information they need to know to pass their exams. The hands-on practice LabSim provides also gives them experience in applying their new knowledge.

• Because TestOut courseware is accessible 24/7, students don’t have to rely on rigid and scheduled class periods. They can study at a pace comfortable to them and, regardless of their schedules, they can access our materials for study anytime and anywhere.

• Pricing is important as well, because what does it matter how good your training courses are if students can’t afford them? The pricing for our high-quality courses is as good, and in most instances better, than that of our competitors. Our advanced labs simulate a $30,000 hardware, software and networking lab. LabSim’s advanced IT lab simulations — combined with our text lessons, exam prep tools, and videos — give students an all-in-one training solution, eliminating the need for text books and expensive physical labs.

As a designer, you have the ability to create a vision and see it come to fruition. I love being able to see the vision of TestOut being implemented into students’ lives. We make a difference in students’ lives by using breakthrough technology that gives them the tools to succeed.

About the Author — Travis Wilde is the Southeast U.S. High School Account Manager for TestOut Corporation. He is a graduate of Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University. When not helping IT instructors, he loves spending time with his amazing wife, Sally, and their five children. Travis enjoys most everything his children do: baseball, Irish dancing, tennis, and flag football. When he has a minute for himself, he enjoys getting lost in a good book, cooking, or skiing. One of his most prized accomplishments is teaching his children to love winter sports — boys ski and girls snowboard!