“IT On Demand” Program to Train Mid-Level Practitioners

Providence, RI, July 09, 2013 --(PR.com)-- VMware training, business management certification, and experiential learning highlight 14-week Tech Collective program; calling for employer participation and candidate applications.

Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s IT and Bioscience industry association, announces its “IT On Demand” training program. Designed and delivered with industry involvement, Tech Collective’s IT On Demand program provides unemployed and underemployed mid-level IT practitioners with technical, business, and experiential training. The program pilot will run this fall. Employer participation and candidate applications are currently being called for. The IT On Demand program is funded by a Governor’s Workforce Board Rhode Island Innovative Partnership Grant.

Program Overview:
Geared at workers with prior IT knowledge and experience, the IT On Demand program aims to "skill up" participants and prepare them to re-enter the workforce at the mid-level. The 14-week program consists of three training components:

· Technical: the most in-demand technical practice area as chosen by RI IT employers
· Business: including customer service, critical thinking, communication, and project management
· Experiential: an 8-week, hands-on learning component with a RI IT employer

Fall 2013 Session:
The program pilot will host 15 participants and run from Sept. 16 through Dec. 20, 2013. Participants will be trained in VMware Data Center Virtualization with the opportunity to become VCP5-DCV certified. New Horizons will provide the technical training. Business skills training will be provided by Bryant University, with participants earning a Business Management Certificate. The third component of the program is an experiential learning opportunity with a RI IT employer. It is anticipated the participant will be hired by the company after successful completion of the 8-weeks

Employer Participation:
Tech Collective is seeking RI IT employers to host program participants for the 8-week experiential learning component. Participants will have previously completed the technical and business components of the program. Employers will interview and select candidates. Employers are asked to have open positions they are looking to have filled by the program participants at the completion of this component.

Companies currently involved in the design and implementation of the program include: PC Troubleshooters, Atrion Networking Corporation, CVS Caremark, the State of Rhode Island, GTECH, Envision Technology Advisors, and netsense.

Candidate Recruitment:
Candidate applications are now being accepted. Candidates must be unemployed or underemployed. Preferred candidates will possess an IT degree; equivalent IT training, education, or certifications; or have a minimum of two years IT experience. Tech Collective will recruit and screen candidates for the program. Participating RI IT employers will make the final selection of program participants.

“Speaking on behalf of all the employers working with Tech Collective on the IT On Demand program, our collective goal is to take a unique approach in developing the ideal ‘new-age’ candidate for our industry,” said Mike Ando, COO for Envision Technology Advisors. “This includes layering highly sought-after technical skills with the soft skills that are required as a mid-level practitioner in our field. Additionally, we anticipate the program will ease the burden of cost and time it typically takes to recruit, hire, and 'ramp up' a new employee. It’s a potential major win for everyone involved in the process.”

“As the IT industry continues to evolve, so does the approach to developing its talent,” said Kathie Shields, executive director for Tech Collective. “The strength of this program comes from the high-touch employer participation. IT On Demand brings the viability of combining the needs and expertise of RI IT employers with Tech Collective’s previous experience in designing and managing workforce training programs at the entry level. We are looking forward to piloting this program in September and thank the Governor’s Workforce Board for the opportunity to do so.”

Additional Information:
Company participation or candidate inquiries should be made to Chris Selwyn, Industry Career Advisor for Tech Collective at (401) 521-7805 x108 / cselwyn@tech-collective.org. Information can also be found on Tech Collective’s IT On Demand webpage or by visiting www.tech-collective.org.

About the Governor’s Workforce Board Rhode Island
The Governor’s Workforce Board is the primary policy-making body on workforce development matters for the State of Rhode Island, and has statutory responsibility and authority to plan, coordinate, fund and evaluate workforce development activities in the state. Since its inception in 2005, the Governor’s Workforce Board has made more than $65 million in strategic investments that reward collaboration among the state’s employment, education and economic development entities. For more information, visit www.gwb.ri.gov.

About Tech Collective:
Tech Collective is Rhode Island’s Bioscience and Information Technology Industry Association. Uniting industry, government and academic stakeholders, our mission is to inspire, engage, educate and employ a high-skill, high-wage Knowledge Economy in Rhode Island. Since its transition from the Rhode Island Technology Council (RITEC) in 2004, Tech Collective has received more than $8M in federal, state and private grant funding to foster industry and workforce awareness, collaboration, and development through forums and initiatives including: Tech10, GRRL Tech, Women in Technology, Bio-Ed, and STEM-based education and training programs for K-16 students as well as incumbent and transitioning workers. Get connected to Tech Collective at www.tech-collective.org, on Facebook (TechCollectiveRI), Twitter (@Tech_Collective), and on Linkedin (Tech Collective).