Philanthropic IT-Ready Job Program to Train & Place Information Technology Apprentices into Philadelphia Firms

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Creating IT Futures Foundation is bringing its IT-Ready training and job placement program to Philadelphia this spring to help unemployed and under-employed individuals gain their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

A non-profit initiative of Per Scholas and the Creating IT Futures Foundation, the IT-Ready program is no cost to participants and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 95 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready's classes with Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and 78 percent have gained paid IT roles with area companies.

Philadelphia is the second pop-up location of IT-Ready, following a successful pilot in Omaha, Neb., last fall, as Creating IT Futures introduces communities to the program for potential future expansion. IT-Ready classes currently are offered in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by Per Scholas and in Minneapolis / St. Paul by Creating IT Futures.  

Partnering with workforce development organization Philadelphia Works, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class for as many as 25 students in Philadelphia starting on May 4^th. Applications will be accepted through April 13 at www.ITReady.com.

"As the city's lead workforce development organization, Philadelphia Works is proud to be a partner in introducing this innovative program to the Philadelphia job market," said Mark Edwards, president and CEO, Philadelphia Works. "Information technology continues to be one of the most in-demand job sectors in Philadelphia and abroad. This program will help us to 'up-skill' interested job seekers in order to feed qualified and pre-screened applicants to employers in need of IT professionals."

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Philadelphia businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled apprentices and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at [email protected].

"IT-Ready is a win-win for employers and people in need of sustainable careers," said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. "We recruit motivated individuals and top businesses, train hard-working participants to meet employers' needs, and help participants sustain their careers through our alumni services.  We provide the opportunity so that dedicated individuals can find meaningful work in the IT industry."

The program also is accepting mentor applications from IT professionals who are open to meeting with IT-Ready students on a regular basis in person or online to help guide them in their career development. Potential mentors can apply at http://creatingitfutures.org/partners/mentors.

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 their eight weeks of initial 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 240 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+.

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 Philadelphia and be able to commute to the training site each day,
• 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, mentors, apprentices and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation 
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, 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. 

About Philadelphia Works
As the city's lead workforce development organization, Philadelphia Works is a nonprofit that advances the state of the local workforce by leveraging funding to deliver innovative strategies and services that are driven by the latest research and labor market data.  We connect businesses to a talented workforce and help individuals develop workplace skills to contribute to a thriving regional economy. For more information about our dedicated board members and staff, workforce research, services and initiatives, go to http://www.philaworks.org.

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SOURCE Creating IT Futures Foundation