‘IT On Demand’ calls for employers

TECH COLLECTIVE HAS issued a call for employers willing to host participants of the organization's IT training program,
TECH COLLECTIVE HAS issued a call for employers willing to host participants of the organization's IT training program, "IT On Demand." Above, participants from the inaugural IT On Demand class that graduated in December 2013. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL PERSSON

PROVIDENCE – Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s IT and bioscience industry association, is calling for employers to host and/or hire IT candidates participating in the organization’s “IT On Demand” training program in the areas of software development, C-sharp and visual studio.
Funded by the Governor’s Workforce Board, the IT On Demand 14-week program is designed to provide unemployed and underemployed mid-level IT practitioners with technical, business and experiential training, preparing them to re-enter the workforce.
The most recent session, the second since its inception, began July 7. Program participants have so far completed training in C-sharp programming with Visual Studio 2010, earned a Business Management Certificate from Bryant University, and completed an industry and job readiness program.
The final component of IT On Demand is an eight-week experiential-learning opportunity hosted by a Rhode Island IT employer. Employers will interview and select candidates, and it is hoped that participants will be hired by the company after successful completion of the program.
IT On Demand participants were selected from among a pool of candidates by a committee of local IT employers, and each participant selected offers previous IT experience and a demonstrated desire and ability to learn and apply new skill sets, Tech Collective said.
In its 2013 pilot run, 15 previously unemployed IT professionals completed the IT On Demand program and became employed in IT roles across industries in Rhode Island. This year, there are 17 participants. Companies currently involved in the program include Atrion Networking Corp., Atrion SMB, Bridge Technical Talent, Envision Technology Advisors, Family Services of RI, Innovex, InterSystems, Netcenergy, OSHEAN, Precision Design Studios, the Rhode Island Foundation, Scandia Consulting and Swipely.
“The IT industry is an innovative one,” said Kathie Shields, executive director of Tech Collective. “As employers saw the need to develop talent in a non-traditional way, they came together with us to not only develop, but also be an integral aspect of, the IT On Demand program… We encourage IT employers to benefit from [participants’] talents.”
The 2014 session of IT On Demand is supported by Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston and the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island with funds provided by a grant from the R.I. Department of Labor and Training and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Employers interested in hosting IT On Demand participants should contact Chris Selwyn, industry career advisor for Tech Collective, at (401) 521-7805 x 108 or by email at cselwyn@tech-collective.org.

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