Fall 2014
No two days are alike for IT grad Josh Breyer, thanks to Fox Valley Technical College.
A lifelong technology enthusiast, Hortonville native Josh Breyer has always been interested in how computer systems work. “I wanted a tech college rather than a four-year school to help me launch my career faster,” he says. “I took classes at Fox Valley Tech while I was a senior in high school and really liked them.”
Breyer enrolled in Fox Valley Technical College’s Network Specialist program right after graduation. “Since I’d already completed six classes, I was able to take fewer courses per semester, earn dual credits, and work full time,” he says.
Today, the 24-year-old Breyer is an IT specialist for Performa, Inc., a planning, architecture and engineering design and consulting firm in nearby De Pere. “I’m the sole IT person at Performa,” he says. “I do everything from maintaining hardware and software to monitoring and configuring server equipment.”
Performa just completed a major expansion to its facilities, and Breyer was in charge of relocating the entire IT infrastructure. “I worked with vendors and contractors to strategically relocate computers, networks, and servers,” he says. “I had to make sure that everything related to computers worked for all the departments and the entire company.”
Breyer feels he made the right choice in schools. “At Performa, I am always analyzing new technology and learning how to implement it,” he says. “Fox Valley Tech really helped prepare me by encouraging continual learning and problem solving.”
Breyer is doing well in his personal life as well as in his career. Recently married, he and his wife just purchased a new home.
Quick Facts:
188 full-time job listings for careers in the New North region in the IT-networking field. 2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report
$56,000 average annual salary for graduates of FVTC’s Network Specialist program five years after graduation. 2014 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report
