Southern State adds fast-track tech certificates for Adams County students
Southern State’s new 7-credit and 13-credit tech certificates start Aug. 24, giving Adams County students a faster route into help-desk and data-center jobs.
Southern State Community College has added two short-term Computer Science certificates that can be finished in less than a year, with classes set to begin Aug. 24, 2026. The new Datacenter Specialist and Technical Support programs are built for Adams County students who want a quicker route into entry-level tech work than a two-year degree.
The larger of the two, Datacenter Specialist, is a 13-credit program that prepares students for entry-level work in data centers, network operations and other settings that need computer and network support technicians. Its course list includes IT Fundamentals, IT Essentials, Server Administration, CISCO Introduction to Networks and Professionalism. The curriculum emphasizes PC hardware, operating systems, server administration and networking fundamentals, while also lining up with CompTIA A+ content and giving students foundational preparation for Cisco CCNA.
The Ohio Department of Higher Education approved Datacenter Specialist on March 18, 2026, as a less-than-one-year technical certificate. That category covers programs with fewer than 30 semester credit hours or 900 clock hours.
Technical Support is even shorter. Southern State lists it as a 7-credit, one-semester certificate built from IT Fundamentals, IT Essentials and Professionalism. The program is designed for entry-level employment in computer support and IT environments and gives students foundational preparation for CompTIA A+ and related credentials.
Southern State's certificate offerings can be completed in as few as two semesters, and its Computer Science department meets specific post-secondary educational needs for residents of southern Ohio. The Adams County Enterprise Center in Winchester is at 2035 Tri-County Road.
In February, an overflow crowd packed a commissioners meeting over a possible data-center project at the former DP&L Stuart Station property, while county officials said no formal site plan or incentive request had been received. Statewide, Ohio’s workforce office expects broadband expansion to create 1,250 direct construction jobs, and 5G deployment to add 32,000 jobs in network infrastructure alone.
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