Rx Tech School (Pharmacy Choice) Recommended by Pharmacy Choice, but it's just another diploma mill Denver Colorado

Alrighty. I thought I was going to shut up but after going to their site to resume my Continuing Education (as though it will help me any), I saw a claim that they are now WIA approved. This is true at least for Denver, Colorado.

From my experience, they are not so good with displaced workers such as myself. I suppose this WIA approval is alright if you live in Denver, but forget it if you live along the east coast like I do.

Pardon my tenacity and my seeming unwillingness to "get over it." I just cannot sit idly by and watch misleading ads such as this. When I tried to get help for employment recently, I was referred to "Ryan"... I mean "Rx Jerk" (in response to his referring to me as "Trevor Chick")... for job placement assistance. It was bad enough that he tell me that their job recruiters want experienced workers, especially those with recent experience, but *how* he said it at me was just plain rotten. His tone was very haughty and condescending, and then he remarked that he already has "deserving" candidates that cannot find work. His definition of "deserving" was people with recent work experience in a pharmacy.

WIA approval just means that they are good at helping displaced homemakers, older workers, etc. This might be true for Denver, but thank Ryan... I mean Rx Jerk... for the truth in regards to the east coast. Displaced homemakers need not apply, nor other such non-deserving applicants. It also applies to those of us who had a rich, diverse work history but had to stay home for the past two years to care for a newborn and an ill husband struggling with cancer.

After reading the nightmare stories from other adult continuing education programs, I am glad that I only paid about $1400 for my course when others lost tens of thousands of dollars on other schools.

What have I learned from this?

First off, find a school where you can deal with real humans instead of using internet classes. The only time an internet class may work is if you are already employed in the given profession. Now you simply need a few refresher courses. Either that or the laws of changed and you need certification. In the case of Rx Tech School, this would work only for people who found a job as a pharmacy technician and received on-the-job training but were never "official" (ie - certified or licensed). Now the laws changed wherever they are working and they have to get certified. If you seek a career change, forget it. It would have been nice if the counselors were honest upfront about that, as I have seen similar stories by others who are certified but cannot find work due to no experience as a pharmacy technician.

Second, if and when you find a vocational school, find out if it is Workforce Approved. I have seen ads for nursing schools, for instance, that advertise as "Workforce Approved." In other words, the powers-that-be at the unemployment office approve of the school and program. (With the nightmare stories I keep seeing about Everest, it is no suprise to me that I never see a "Workforce Approved" ad for them anywhere, but I digress.)

Third, be wary of for-profit schools. Research public vocational schools first. Often you will get the same education you need for a fraction of the out-of-pocket costs and, again, chances are, as a public school, it is Workforce Approved.

Okay, perhaps I was a bit hard on Rx Tech School on account of one bad apple. I reported the behavior of a contact named "Ryan" who had been extremely rude and flippant with me. I understand the economy is in shambles but that health care is still going strong. Therefore, many people are making that transition. What this Ryan jerk failed to acknowledge was that I made this decision to become a Pharmacy Technician in 2006, long before the recession started. What had been hindering me was the simple fact that I was the sole caretaker of a new baby and a very sick husband.

Ryan was supposed to contact recruiters for me for the east coast. He seemed okay at first, telling me to send him my resume and that he would contact me in a few days. I did as he instructed but no call. Almost five days later, I called him back. I could hear him on the other end saying, "Yes. Hmm. Yes. Uh huh." I paused for at least a good thirty seconds, and he continued that "Yes uh yeah" nonsense, telling me he was not listening to a thing I was saying. When he realized I was not talking anymore, he just flippantly said, "I don't know what you want me to say. I was on my way out to catch a plane but I will squeeze you in and look over your resume on the way out." Eh???

When I finally got the resume back, that was the final straw. While I appreciate his critique, I do not think he realized I looked at what he titled my resume, how he saved it in his files. I know for a fact I saved it under my real name, as "(My real name) resume." Welp, he changed it to "Trevor Chick." Trevor is the name of the poor soul, the counselor, who referred me to this worthless jackass. I complained to Trevor about it, and he got me a new contact. This new person treated me a lot better, with a lot more dignity and professionalism.

I was not going to blame Rx Tech School for my situation. I realize it is simple timing working against me. However, I did not need to be ill treated by "Ryan Jerk" and it made Rx Tech School look very bad. It fed into my paranoia about diploma mills, thus my reason for filing my initial complaint. I'll see what happens now. Hope to find work soon as I am on the verge of filing for bankruptcy.