Creating IT Futures Foundation Launches Free Summer Classes for Entry-Level IT Workers

EDINA, Minn., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Creating IT Futures Foundation, the philanthropic arm of information technology (IT) industry association CompTIA, is launching two free training classes this summer to provide career and project management skills for today's tech workers and tech college graduates in the Twin Cities. Both classes are part of the Foundation's new CertNext training series for certified IT professionals and will be held at the Foundation's offices in Edina, Minn.

PrepareU, is a two-week, classroom-based course designed for technically skilled IT workers to help them land the IT jobs they desire and give them the tools they need to achieve pay raises and promotions. Through real-life scenarios, PrepareU students will learn communication, collaboration, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, as well as good workplace and career habits.

Students in the eight-week Project Essentials course (will link to the PE web page) will learn how to coordinate IT projects to better harness resources for business success. This classroom-based course will combine curriculum on soft skills, project management and business analysis tailored for the entry-level, certified IT pro. Graduating students will be able to lead IT projects with confidence and complete projects on time and within budget. At the end of the course, they'll sit for the CompTIA Project+ exam.

Graduates in both classes also will be introduced to local employers during the training. Creating IT Futures works with more than 60 businesses in the Twin Cities to match graduates of its training programs with hiring employers.

"Employers want both hard technical and soft skills in their IT employees. Our IT-Ready program teaches both, but often other IT workers and college graduates have the technical skills they need for the job but not the softer career skills," said Sue Wallace, executive director, Minnesota, Creating IT Futures Foundation. "This summer we're offering a two-week boot camp on soft skills as well as a more intensive eight-week course that merges the two-week course with additional training on project management and business analysis. Both are geared toward the skills needed in current open IT jobs in the Twin Cities."

For the courses, students must:

• Live near the Twin Cities
• Be at least 18 years old,
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant,
• Be a high school graduate or have a GED,
• Have access to a computer with Internet connection, and
• Have already achieved an associate or bachelor's degree in computer science or information technology or have earned at least one IT certification (a CompTIA certification is preferred but not required) or be enrolled in an IT training class.

The PrepareU class begins July 11 and runs until July 22. The Project Essentials class runs August 1 through September 23. The training is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday. Applications for PrepareU are due by June 22; applications for Project Essentials are due by July 18. To apply, visit http://www.creatingitfutures.org/developing-programs/certnext.   

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SOURCE Creating IT Futures Foundation