Philanthropic IT-Ready Job Program Trains & Places Information Technology Apprentices into Twin Cities Firms

Applications for Next Training Session Now Open

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Dec 11, 2014, 09:36 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- IT-Ready graduated its fall 2014 class of certified information technology (IT) workers Wednesday, most of whom will sign on with area companies as help desk and technical support staff for their first paid IT role.

Creating IT Futures Foundation Logo.

A non-profit initiative of Per Scholas and the Creating IT Futures Foundation—the philanthropic arm of CompTIA—the program is no cost to participants and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. The program is offered free of charge in order to help unemployed and under-employed individuals who are drawn to the IT field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

"Employers need workers with the right skills. Potential employees need to prove they have the right on-the-job abilities. IT-Ready is a win-win for both groups," said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. "Our goal is to give people who are willing to work hard but who lack opportunity the right training, resources and opportunities for an on-the-job experience so they can find meaningful work in the IT industry at a family-sustaining wage."

Since the program was established in Minneapolis / St. Paul in 2012, more than 100 individuals have graduated from IT-Ready, with nearly 95 percent earning their CompTIA A+ certification and 78 percent moving into paid roles with area companies after graduation.

The next eight-week IT-Ready class for as many as 25 students will be held for the first time in downtown Minneapolis from February 9 - April 3, 2015.

New for this upcoming class, IT-Ready is proud to add the City of Minneapolis' Information Technology Department to its group of participating employers considering graduates for employment. IT-Ready employers commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Other Twin Cities employers that work with IT-Ready include: Atomic Data, GED Testing Service, HealthPartners, McCormick Computers, Medica, Medtronic, Pearson VUE, TEKsystems and Virteva.

What Do IT-Ready Apprentices Learn?

In the IT-Ready training, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

All IT-Ready apprentices also receive targeted professional development in key business "soft" skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready apprentices are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their apprenticeship, and continue to cultivate them with the support of their online and onsite mentors. After completing training, the apprentices sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

Free tuition, books and learning materials,
More than 250 hours of classroom and hands-on training,
Qualification for a local six-month paid apprenticeship,
Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
An industry mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and apprenticeship.

Program alumni also receive access to online certification courses to earn additional certifications such as CompTIA Network+, Server+ and Security+.

Applications for the next class will be accepted through Jan. 21, 2015, at www.ITReady.com.

Participants must:

Be 18 years of age or older,
Have a drive to succeed, an interest in technology, and willingness to work hard,
Have a high school diploma or GED,
Be a U.S. citizen or have the ability to work for any employer in the United States,
Complete all steps of the screening process,
Live within 50 miles of downtown Minneapolis and be able to commute to the downtown Minneapolis training site on a daily basis,
Be able to attend all training classes, Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for 8 consecutive weeks, and
Be willing to accept an entry-level IT position following the training.

Potential employers, apprentices and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
The Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

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SOURCE Creating IT Futures Foundation