FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Frank Provenzano APRIL 21, 2017 517-335-1821 For all recent stories and announcements, please visit MEDC NEWSROOM provenzanof@michigan.org

Online courses, certification available to IT job-seekers; sign-up deadline May 5

Training program expands to Flint; goal to connect employers with entry level IT talent with eye on promising career

LANSING, Mich. – In response to the increasing demand for information technology (IT) jobs, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is partnering with “IT in the D” and Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan to provide funding for training and certification for entry level IT positions in Flint, including help-desk services, typically gateway employment for career advancement in the field.

“This is an opportunity for job candidates to get in at the ground level of an exciting profession that is expanding with the promise of a rewarding career,” said Cynthia Richardson, director, talent attraction and resources, Michigan Economic Development Corporation…

“By providing minimal or no-cost training, the field is immediately accessible to job seekers while promoting Flint as an attractive market for new IT jobs,” she said. “Serving as a catalyst for IT education and increasing the supply of qualified IT job-seekers clearly demonstrates the state’s commitment to foster a positive business and job-creation environment in Mid-Michigan.”

Through its partnership with MEDC and Goodwill Industries, “IT in the D” is expanding to Flint with the aim of eventually a statewide presence. Local partners include GST Michigan Works! And Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce.

“IT in the D,” a nonprofit established in 2001 as a networking group for IT professionals in Detroit, aims to provide a roadmap for training, certifications, job searches and career counseling. The Detroit chapter has 5,000 members.

IT-training funds, which come from a Goodwill Industries grant, cover costs for online courses through Career Academy and all or partial accreditation fee for 15 candidates. Deadline to apply is May 5, 2017. Registration is available through Goodwill Industries of Michigan by calling (810) 762-9960.

Instead of paying upward of $400 per class and as much as $5,000 for IT training and certification, job candidates have access – at minimal or no cost – to Career Academy’s online database of 1,100 courses, and up to 30 college credits.

“Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan appreciates the collaborations that have come together to continue our mission of assisting people with barriers to employment,” said Tami Bauchan, Director of Workforce Development at Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan.

“The opportunity to assist people with their path to self-sufficiency is one that Goodwill is excited by and one that will benefit the community as a whole,” she said.

Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan, a nonprofit with services to assist those with barriers to employment and self-sufficiency, is a credential certification center sanctioned through Pearson VUE, a global certification center that provides proctored testing environments.

While the training courses offered through the Career Academy prepare prospective job-seekers for entry level positions, such as computer support specialists, the IT field offers a range of advancement opportunities that lead to careers in programing, cyber security, and software development.

The focus on attracting IT jobs to Flint comes as IT-related employment is projected to increase by more than 15 percent by 2024, according to Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.

“The sky is the limit when it comes to a career in information technology,” said Bob Waltenspiel, cofounder of “IT in the D.”

“We are excited to provide entry-level certifications to those that need them, and encouraged by these workers continuing to advance and grow while filling a much needed skills gap in the state,” he said.

Providing training and certification to IT prospects is the latest of MEDC-backed initiatives to attract business investment and jobs to Flint.

In the past year, Michigan Strategic Fund has supported the creation of 1,544 new jobs in Flint. Last month, the MSF supported the development of downtown Flint’s Ferris Building as a site for an entrepreneurial incubator. In addition, the MSF has supported the Health and Wellness District, and the Farmers Market – both landmarks in downtown Flint – and a micro-lending program in association with Huntington Bank that facilities small business growth.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community and talent development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Visit Pure Michigan Talent Connect at www.mitalent.org for more information on Michigan’s online marketplace for connecting job seekers and employers. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Career Academy Fill this out to indicate your interest in the Career Academy program Name * First Last

Address * Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini (Swaziland) Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country

Email *

Phone *

What are you looking for? Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and what you're looking to get out of the program.

Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Like this: Like Loading...