News Article

Paul Quilty of Mount Moriah fell in love with programming while in high school, which is strange considering he despised every computer course he took in his early years. As a self-described late bloomer towards computers, Paul wouldn’t have anticipated a career in software development as his future.
 
“When I was in Grade 12 I had to do a programming assignment, I fell in love and the rest is history,” Paul said.
 
In 2004 he didn’t know a college program existed where he could put his love of programming to good use and had planned to enroll in the Canadian Forces. Fate intervened and Paul found out about the Software Development program at College of the North Atlantic (CNA) by chance.
 
“At a ’Meet the Teacher’ event at CNA I started talking with one of the instructors of this new program. She started telling me about it and I wanted in right away because that was exactly what I wanted to do!”
 
CNA’s low tuition was another factor which helped him decide to enroll in the program.
 
“When you’re in high school, you hear all about people going to university for five or six years and how they spent extreme amounts of money and are basically in debt for the better part of their lives. I didn’t want that,” Paul said. “I started looking into it and I could go to CNA for far less money and basically get the same qualifications and training as someone that completed a computer science degree. That sold me.”
  
He enrolled in the then three-year Internet Application Developer (now Software Development) program in 2004 and says there is no doubt the program was the right fit for him.
 
“I loved every second of it! I have experienced so much after working in the industry and honestly I am so grateful how well rounded the course made me,” he said. “The teachers were absolutely amazing and if you had a question, they were able to answer it because they were so knowledgeable and they had so much industry experience.”
 
He recalls questioning the relevance of a few of the courses which touched on business, but admits once he was working in industry they made complete sense.
 
“When I completed the program there were several courses that at the time seemed useless and you ask, ‘why are we doing this?’ But the program had courses that touched on the different aspects that I could potentially move into,” he explained. “The business courses were really focused and got me to understand what to expect in the real world from different companies. The program touched on so many different areas that when I got in industry I was laughing because I had so much experience in everything. It helped me find a job easier than if I had just learned about programming.”
 
Paul had a job waiting for him when he graduated and believes there is much demand for workers. In fact, USA News just named software developer as the number one career choice for 2014, noting the profession offers the right mix of job opportunities, good salary, manageable work-life balance and job security. 
 
“Here in Newfoundland, the industry is booming now. It has changed so much compared to when I first started. Now there are hundreds of jobs, with companies starting up left, right and centre. This industry is crying for people with the skills to keep computers [and networks] operating smoothly.”
 
If you want to be in a field with one of the strongest futures and enjoy the challenge and stimulation achieved from creating constantly improving solutions, the two-year Software Development program at Corner Brook campus could be for you. For more information about Software Development visit www.cna.nl.ca.
 
-30-
 
Media Contact:
 
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca