I'm trying to find the class action suit against BCTI.
I went to BCTI from December '04 to July '05. During that time I was trained on Microsoft Applications that I have since learned were on the computers illegially (they were copied onto the school's computers.)
Before enrolling, I was told that by completing just the first seven months I would be eligible for jobs such as administrative assistant, human resources, entry level clerical, data entry and receptionist postions. I was told that 90% of these jobs start off at 10.00 per hour and higher. I was told that upon completing the second phase I would be eligble for troubleshooting positions that would start off at 25.00 per hour. I was also told that the career services would help me look for a position in my field of choice. That did not happen.
When I enrolled I was eligible for fincial aid, pell grants and the state need grant. I recieved a check for 1,000 dollars, which should have been 3,000 dollars. I did not recieve any paperwork on that. They told me it was reduced to 1,000 dollars because of how much the state had left to give to the remaining students. Some students did not recieve any money that was promised to them.
The classes were not what you would think college would be like. We were taught punctionation and grammer. We were shown how to write professional letters and memos. We were not shown QuickBooks or accounting. Those two are almost always required for higher postions. We were shown all MS applications but none of the work was extensive. Each subject lasted seven weeks and we were rushed through this. I did not understand Excel, but was told that if I want to stay in the class for an additonal 7 weeks that I will have to pay for the entire quarter over again. I was also told that after the first week of school you pay by each quarter, amounting to 70.00 per day.
Most of the ciriculum was resume writing, cover letters, fax sheets, interviewing questions and problem solving. It was very retorical. You were given a template of interviewing questions and had to practice the answers. Resumes were all copies. You were told to have your resume focus on your "soft skills." They encouraged you to put down filing, answering phones and typing skills.
I graduated in July. Before I graduated I told career services that I will not work in Portland, and I will not do telemarketing. I tried to keep it simple for them.instead they basically hounded me to work in Portland and gave me bottom of the line jobs. I was given lectures on how I need to move up in a company. One day career services told me that they had a great job lead for me. It was answering phones and doing basic office work. He again told me that I need to move up in a company and I agreed. I then asked if it was telemarketing. He said no. I went to the interview where I was offered a postion to sell satelite dishes to unsuspecting citazins at home. Telemarketing. I had to explain to the lady that I was not intrested in telemarketing, and thats when she told me that she had recieved a phone call from one of the career consutlants at BCTI basically telling her to "please hire her, she's a good girl." It was very humilating.
I told career services that day that I no longer need thier help, they had done enough and I was sick of them. I got a job working graveyard, making 15 cents more than minimum wage, and the career services still tried to take credit for that.
I'm still looking for better jobs out there. I apply to lots of companies, and every interview I go on employers make snickering comments about the school I had chose to go to. Its putting a huge disadvantage to list BCTI on my resume.
Thanks
Krystle
Vancouver, Washington
U.S.A.
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