Creating IT Futures Foundation Opens Free IT Training & Career Program for Adults in Elgin

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., June 29, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Adults in the Chicago area can now apply to Creating IT Futures Foundation's free IT-Ready career program. IT-Ready trains, certifies and places unemployed and under-employed adults in their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers. For the first time, IT-Ready will host an eight-week class at The Centre of Elgin starting September 19. Applications will be accepted through August 26 at www.ITReady.com.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Elgin residents to gain new skills," said Elgin Mayor David Kaptain. "The information technology field is going to continue adding jobs in the near and long-term future and the IT-Ready program provides a career path both for persons that will be entering the job market or seeking to retool and learn a new profession."

The accelerated tech training program is no cost to students (18 years of age or older) and earns them a foothod in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 88 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 88 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

"Last year we were able to bring an IT-Ready pop-up class to downtown Chicago, and we're happy to expand the program now to the Chicago suburbs," said Charles Eaton, CEO, Creating IT Futures Foundation. "We'll work with local Chicago businesses to help them fill their IT staffing gaps with well-trained and certified IT-Ready graduates."

In the IT-Ready program, 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.

IT-Ready students 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 graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their training, the students 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 tech and soft skills training, and certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam. 

The class in Elgin will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every weekday until November 11. To demonstrate their commitment to the training and pursuing an IT career, IT-Ready students are allowed only one absence and two late days during the program.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to consider the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interview 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 workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at [email protected].

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

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SOURCE Creating IT Futures Foundation

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