FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Fayetteville Technical Community College and Red Hat announced a plan Friday to help veterans learn new skills and find jobs in information technology after their military service.

Fayetteville Tech’s “Transition Tech” program brings veterans to campus to receive comprehensive training that will help them find high-paying jobs. The college and the company have been working together to help veterans since 2004, but on Friday, they recommitted to helping more men and women seeking jobs.

Coursework will be offered on Linux operating systems and system administration, with 100% online and hybrid learning options available. The training positions students to pass Red Hat’s Certified System Administrator exam.

“Students who pass this exam are often very well-positioned for jobs surrounding Red Hat enterprise Linux system administration, as well as the cloud,” said Karl Reynolds, Red Hat’s senior training director.

Sgt Victor Donovan will be leaving the military in February, but he’s already exchanged his military cap for a Red Hat and the IT training that comes with it.

“It’s going to provide me an opportunity in the civilian world,” Donovan said. “I’m trying to transition over to cybersecurity [and] hopefully get a job after I get out of the Army.”

Sgt. Paul Pierre said he, too, isn’t waiting for his discharge in a few months before he starts training for an IT job.

“This is what I do for my pastime, so I want to make it a career,” Pierre said of working with computers.

The training course is 240 hours long, and it’s taught at the college in a Red Hat environment.

Fayetteville Tech President Larry Keen said programs like that are essential for the school’s military neighbors.

“The truth is we owe them every element that we can, every assistance we can provide and every bit of our being in terms of thanking them for doing the services that keep us free,” Keen said.