MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Creating
IT Futures Foundation, the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, donated
$100,000 in scholarships to Prime
Digital Academy, a newly established software programming school in
the Twin Cities area. The
funding to help low-income individuals reduce the cost of their
training is the first to come out of the foundation's new research
and development program, IT Futures Labs.
"By partnering with Prime, IT Futures Labs hopes to increase
knowledge in what it takes a person who might not have a college
degree and is struggling financially to go from zero to 60 in
software development, so we can promote best practices nationwide
and impact hundreds of people who need an upwardly mobile career,"
said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating
IT Futures. "Our foundation is proud to help people in need of
opportunity to enter the world of software development, which
offers high earning potential but also presents a high barrier to
entry."
The scholarship dollars will be directed at individuals who are
unemployed, under-employed or under-represented in the technology
field, such as women, African-Americans and Hispanics. Prime will
feature an accelerated learning program to help smart, driven
learners get up to speed for entry-level jobs in software
engineering. The academy focuses on industry-led experiential
learning and apprenticeships with some of the metro's leading IT
employers.
The government and philanthropic partnership to support Prime
was developed in conjunction with the White House Office of Science
and Technology Policy to foster development of the
accelerated-learning model in communities nationwide. Prime's
18-week program's objective (with optional 12-week or more
apprenticeship) is to arm graduates with three things: 1)
entry-level technical skills relevant in the current market, 2)
behavioral skills to succeed as part of a software development
team, and 3) a mindset of continuous learning and a toolbox of
techniques to support a long, successful career.
Applications for the first class will close on January 22. Apply online at
http://primeacademy.io.
About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
The Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the
mission of helping populations under-represented in the information
technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity
to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more
at www.creatingITfutures.org.
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SOURCE Creating IT Futures Foundation