what programs or course are best to go to for computer technology?

The above comments are wondering the same thing I am.. do you want to fix the hardware or deal with software?

There are many shorter term educational opportunities you can pursue to see what you are looking for. ITT tech style institutions offer a good starting point for entry level to help you begin working in the general field and if you don't have the finances for a regular college available to you. After that you may want to consider looking into specific certifications you are exposed to when you begin working and even if engineering education is a good avenue (most employers have financial assistance for education in any related fields to your job) as it can help you advance in your career a bit further if, say, you are interested in being a leader in your field, although of course there are those who worked there way reasonably up without an engineering degree, eventually and under the right circumstances/in the right environment

I work in healthcare and cannot begin to tell you the technology resources we employ. From repairing all our computer equipment (like mentioned in above tech based responses) to supporting our many software programs (which are usually each a specialty on their own) to supporting our medical equipment (biomedical engineering) or networks

A good starting point is to take a general electronics course alongside a computer course and then decide which path you like best

Now keep in mind, when you say Computer Repair Technician, that's really about fixing laptops and desktops. Server Technicians and Network technicians are a different world.

To be a technician, you have to be passionate about breaking and building things. There's a lot of moving parts both in hardware and software. However, a job as a Computer repair technician is really an entry-level position. You can equate a Computer Technician to that of a Mechanic. Even the senior computer technicians move on to network and server stuff.

You don't need a college education to be a technician. Most people hiring for technicians will look for A+/Network+ certification and that's about it. However, if you're looking to be the best computer technician, then its really just practice, practice and more practice. That means you're better off just volunteering your services to 100 - 150 people and then you'll learn...and trust me, you'll learn quick.

Tell them you'll fix it for free and they will jump at the opportunity (nobody likes paying $120 at GeekSquad to remove a virus). That kind of experience alone will give you enough street creds to walk into a computer repair shop. There isn't college-oriented approach for computer technicians, but there is one for Server/Networking.

Volunteering is key. If I looked at resumes, I would choose the person who volunteered 100 times over a person with just an A+ certification. I would do that because I know s/he has been in the thick of it. I know s/he has dealt with things like, "The CD is loading slow, IE keeps crashing, my computer keeps restarting". S/he also took initiative by volunteering and that shows enthusiasm and passion. Does this answer your question?

I was into building/repairing computers when I was in middle school and high school. I found a local computer shop and convinced them that I would be helpful as free labor if they let me hang out there. So one summer I did an "internship" where I'd work 4-6 hours each weekday helping repair or build computers that people dropped off. It turned out to be some stuff I already knew about, but a lot I didn't, and working with helpful mentors was the best way to learn. To be honest, one thing that happened was I got really good at googling! The next summer, I was good enough that they even paid me. If you can find a local mom-and-pop computer repair shop, it's worth asking--if not, start volunteering to help out your family and friends with their problems.

Last bit of advice: don't be afraid to make mistakes. You can mess up a lot of stuff, but 99% of the time it's reversible. Trial and error is a great way to learn about computers (repair or programming), so be fearless.

Are you planning on being a computer repair tech for your career? Or are you just talking about getting into the computer technology field in general?

The answer given by dkuebric Dan K and Akshat are pretty good if you are going for the computer tech repair field.

Now if you want to get into computer technology as such computer programmer, network administrator, database manager, etc that is a different story. This usually requires a degree in computer science or related degree.

If you want to deal with physical computer hardware such as designing motherboards, circuits, etc you need an electrical engineering degree.

You should try and research what exact are you want to get into.