Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know how tight the labor market is right now… especially TECHNICAL talent! With an unemployment rate at record lows, you might be thinking this is great news, right? Well, perhaps, but not if you are a company looking to fill open technical roles!
This talent shortage has resulted in programs aimed at generating interest in younger audiences, as well as those that may be more established, yet seeking a career pivot into technology. In this post, we will cover a few local programs making an impact today, aiming to fortify the region’s talent pool for tomorrow.
ITWorks
Offered by Tech Impact, ITWorks, with over 500 program graduates, offers IT training for young people in Philadelphia, PA, Wilmington, DE, and Las Vegas, NV. During the FREE 16-week program, students spend the first 11 weeks in the classroom learning about PC hardware, troubleshooting, IT networking, security, and much more, to prepare for CompTIA A+ certification. Following the classroom work, students gain real-life, hands-on, experience during a five-week internship at a local corporation or nonprofit. The program is offered twice a year – Spring and Fall – and is bolstered by the support of over 100 volunteers in each location.
Year Up
Year Up Wilmington launched in 2017 and partnered with Wilmington University in July 2018. Year Up Wilmington offers an intensive, one-year program for college students, ages 18-24, combining professional coaching, hands-on skill development, and internships at some of America’s top companies. As college students, participants have access to the library, tutoring resources, and other services offered by the college, in addition to the services offered by Year Up. As students work toward completing a degree at Wilmington University, Year Up Wilmington provides them with professional development and work experience, preparing graduates to launch a successful career.
TechGirlz
TechGirlz was founded in 2010, with a mission of creating a world where girls have a lifelong passion and confidence in their use of technology throughout their careers. This is accomplished through the creation of free, fun, interactive “TechShopz” led by industry professionals, leaders and students. TechGirlz shares their free workshop curricula with companies, organizations, schools and community groups so they can inspire girls around the world with technology.
ZipCode Wilmington
Regardless of age, gender, educational background, or career, Zip Code Wilmington coaches everyday, motivated, people from diverse backgrounds into skilled, professional, developers. Their 12-week program provides the know-how and network to build a career in technology.
Brandywine Technology is happy to support these programs through volunteer efforts, as well as offering job placement opportunities for many candidates (excluding TechGirlz participants, of course!) with our corporate customers. “Working with these organizations is a win-win scenario,” says Greg Plum, Brandywine Technology’s director of marketing, “since we have a chance to showcase this new IT talent, fresh off of completing their programs, while helping our customers pinpoint the right resources to best meet their needs.”
For information on any of these programs, or to learn if any of our current program graduates might meet your technical needs, contact us on 302.656.6100, or visit us at www.BrandywineTechnology.com.
