C# and Visual Studio Talent Available to Tech Employers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Aug. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- Providence, R.I. – August 18, 2014 – Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s IT and Bioscience industry association, is calling for employers to host and/or hire IT candidates in the areas of software development, C#, and Visual Studio. Candidates are participants of Tech Collective’s IT On Demand training program.

Designed and delivered with industry involvement, IT On Demand provides unemployed IT practitioners with technical, business, and experiential training. The 14-week program aims to advance participants’ technical and business skill sets and prepare them to re-enter the workforce at the mid-level. Program participants have currently completed training in C# programming with Visual Studio 2010 (training provided by New Horizons); earned a Business Management Certificate from Bryant University Executive Development Center; and completed an industry and job readiness component.

Call for Employers
The final component of IT On Demand is an 8-week experiential learning opportunity hosted by a Rhode Island IT employer. Employers will interview and select candidates. It is anticipated participants will be hired by the company after successful completion of this component.

Participants of the program were selected out of a candidate pool by a committee of local IT employers. Participants selected each have previous IT experience in various capacities as well as having demonstrated a desire and ability to learn and apply new skill sets.

In its 2013 pilot run, 15 previously unemployed IT professionals completed the IT On Demand program and became employed in IT roles across industries. More than 10 companies participated in the program. This year, there are 17 IT On Demand participants. Companies currently involved in the program include: Atrion Networking Corporation, Atrion SMB, Bridge Technical Talent, Envision Technology Advisors, Family Services of RI, INNOVEX, InterSystems, Netcenergy, OSHEAN, Precision Design Studios, 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. In the same respect, employers selected participants with an array of talents and transferrable skills to best suit the needs of the local technology community. Participants of this program have added to their knowledgebase as well as demonstrated their capacity to learn quickly and translate those skills on-the-job. We encourage IT employers to benefit from their 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 Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training and the US Department of Labor.

Employer Inquires:
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 Tech Collective:
Tech Collective is Rhode Island’s Information Technology and Bioscience 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 collaboration, awareness and development through events and initiatives including: the Tech10 awards, the Rhode Island Bioscience Awards, 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 LinkedIn (Tech-Collective), on Twitter (@Tech_Collective), and on Facebook (TechCollectiveRI).