Hunched over a computer, Gabriel Allit maneuvers a tangle of wires with dexterity as he hooks up a router to the rest of the computer network. The flashing green lights tell him that he's now "live" and has successfully completed his task.

Now he's ready to "reconfigure," which means he must erase the computer's operating system and set it up so that it can communicate with the long row of other computers in the room.

Gabriel Allit

In computer jargon, Allit is learning the high-tech art of networking, which includes hooking up computers; wiring the connections; setting up shared programs, intranets and shared drives; and ensuring that the computers are all able to communicate with each other.

These highly technical skills - which can lead to high-paying jobs - are usually taught in business schools, community colleges or universities. But Allit and his classmates are high school students.

They are enrolled in the Cisco Networking Academy Program on the campus of Fairfield High School. Similar programs are in numerous high schools around the country.

Intended to prepare students for the 21st century workplace, the program is centered around teaching students to design, build and maintain computer networks. Most of the Fairfield students enrolled in the two-year program, which started last year, are juniors and seniors, with a sprinkling of sophomores. Two students, who enrolled as seniors last year, are returning to their former high school each day to earn certification.

At the end of the two-year course, students must pass an exam to receive their Certified Cisco Network Associates (CCNA) certificate. The certificate, the first of a three-tiered certification system, can lead to jobs that pay $35,000 to $40,000 right out of high school.

ROP instructor Geoff Belleau teaches students to maintain computer networks in a Cisco certification program at Fairfield High.

"It's very exciting. We will graduate the first group of kids this year," says Geoff Belleau, who teaches the course at Fairfield High School.

A member of the Fairfield-Suisun Unified Teachers Association (FUTA), Belleau is an ROP instructor.

He admires the students for their perseverance. "It's a very tough course," says Belleau, who had to become Cisco certified himself in order to teach the course and grade the exams. "Most kids falter and have trouble the first semester, but if they can get through that, they are here to stay. This year we started with 40 students and we're now down to 28."

"In my class, students tear stuff apart, drill holes, pull cables, punch cables down and set up stuff," he says. "During the last two weeks of the school year, I'm going to unhook all the equipment and stack it up. The students will have to set up everything the way it was before, configure it and program it. They all have to do that, or they won't pass."

The students will also be working nights and weekends to network some of the district's court school computer systems, which are in separate portables at different buildings.

Overall, the students are extremely bright, but tend not to excel at traditional academics, says Belleau. In appearance most are anything but preppy, with spiky hair, hanging chains and a renegade attitude. Many of these Generation Next students cut their teeth on videogames and were raised by dot-com parents, so they prefer hands-on learning to classroom pedagogy.

Trudes Santos

"If it weren't for this program, many of these students would be in continuation school," says Belleau. "Because of this program, they want to stay in school. It keeps them motivated. One kid barely shows up to school, except for this class."

He says that some graduates may enroll in college or business school next fall, but most will go straight into full-time networking jobs upon receiving their certification.

The students know they are fortunate to be on the cutting edge of vocational education in a specialized, high-tech setting.

"I'm getting a big jump on other people in this field," says Adam Adudo, 18. "With my certificate, I've got a big head start on having a good job at a young age."

"As a high school student, this program has enabled me to have access to resources that cost thousands of dollars - including instructors, routers and software - that are not available at most schools," says Farook Khan, 17. He is already doing "side jobs" for local companies that need networking. "I want to get married, have a family and have a successful career that I enjoy. This program will make this possible."

In the next few years, Belleau predicts there will be more "sponsored curriculum" and computer certification programs available at his school. "Adobe made a deal with Cisco for a Web design certificate. Hewlett-Packard made a deal with Cisco for a certificate on managing servers. Sun Microsystems has a curriculum that does Unix. These are all the newest curriculum programs coming down the pike."

"Certification programs are the wave of the future," he says. "If large numbers of students fail to pass the High School Exit Exam, as predicted, and are unable to graduate from high school, certification programs may provide an alternate route to success without a college diploma."

Fairfield ROP teacher Darlene Perez prepares Cara Capriato for a Microsoft certification program. Although most of her students are planning to go to college, they are trying to develop practical skills they can fall back on if necessary or make use of in college.

"If you have industry-backed certification programs like Cisco where kids have jobs waiting for them, who cares about the exit exam?" he asks.

Fairfield High School also has a MOUS (Microsoft Office User Specialist) certification preparation program taught by FUTA member Darlene Perez. Students who complete the program are expected to develop skills that will enable them to pass beginning level and then "expert" level certification for MS-Word, PowerPoint and eventually Excel, Access and Outlook.

"We are just implementing it here for the second semester," says Perez, an ROP teacher who is MOUS-certified. "We have practice exams at the high school, and if students want to be tested off-campus, our district is willing to pay the fee, which runs $55 to $100 per test."

Most of her students are seniors who are planning on attending college in the fall. They find the skills learned in her class useful for writing school papers and doing presentations. Some plan on using the skills for part-time work while attending college.

Most are scared about taking the actual certification tests. "Nobody wants to take it. They are afraid they might fail," says Perez. "But the good thing about MOUS certification is that you can take it again if you are not successful."

"I think this program will provide an avenue for students and will help them build a bridge in regard to moving from school to work," says Perez.

"It's a real confidence builder. Just think, they can say to themselves, 'Here am I at 17 taking a test next to someone else who is 35.'"

Chances are they'll score at the same level, she says.

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District is also offering certification programs at other sites.

A Building Trades Certification Program began this year at both Armijo and Fairfield high schools. It was set up in cooperation with the Napa-Solano Building Trades Association, which includes carpenters, plumbers, pipe fitters and electricians, and Habitat for Humanity.

During freshman year, students take "general shop" to familiarize themselves with tool use, safety and basic construction. They also study small engines, drafting and woodworking.

As sophomores, they take up welding, drafting, electronics and computer repair.

As juniors, students enroll in Introduction to the Building Trades, where they get more hands-on experience, along with an overview of the various careers available in construction, with regular presentations by those in the building trades.

As seniors, students enroll in Advanced Building Trades, a two-hour course in which they continue to receive instruction and visit apprenticeship training facilities. In cooperation with Habitat for Humanity, students volunteer time at construction sites for homes for low-income residents.

The goal of the program is to prepare students to succeed on tests required by all first-year apprenticeships. That way they can enter the trade immediately and speed up their progress toward journeyman status.

"There is a real need for people in the trades. It's a critical situation," says Al Maddalena, a FUTA member who has taught industrial technology at Armijo for 39 years. "Older tradesmen are retiring, and no one is coming in to take their places. They are starting to import people from overseas.

"Apprentices start at $12 to $18 per hour and salaries go up to $30 per hour, with benefits, when a four-year apprenticeship program is completed."

The district now funds the program, but it soon may become ROP-funded. Local companies have donated tools and other materials, and students are eager to become enrolled. "The kids are saying, 'Why haven't we done this sooner?'" says Maddalena. "The pendulum is swinging. People are finally beginning to see the benefit of career opportunity employment."

At Armijo High School, the auto shop has been retooled and upgraded to industry standards. FUTA member Nick Chiapero has received Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification in the categories of Engine Performance, Steering and Alignment, Brakes and Electrical Systems. In September, he will begin teaching a three-year program that will enable students to receive these same ASE certifications.

"We didn't have all the necessary tools and equipment before to make this possible," says Chiapero. "Now we have an alignment rack and more software and hardware to go along with the electronic diagnostic tools. I want to allow students to get up to standard so they can be employable. This way, more doors will be open to them than if they just took a standard automotive program."

The program is paid for out of the ROP program. There is an advisory committee made up of local car dealership representatives, who will recruit certificated students when they complete the program.

"I'm thrilled, even though there's a lot of pressure," says Chiapero. "I'm supposed to retire in 10 years. But if things continue to go this smoothly, and the program has lots of support, I'm not sure if I will. This is the dream of all industrial arts teachers."