Announcing New IT Pro Bootcamps
The tech industry respects experience above all else—experience that comes with hands-on training and industry expertise that changes fast. There’s no question that the breakneck speed of technological innovation is a key factor behind the IT skills gap phenomenon.
This skills gap represents the difference between the skills that employers want, as shown by their job advertisements, and those that are available from candidates looking for a job. For IT employers, this represents one of the greatest obstacles to growth in 2021. Morgan Walker. M.S., Manager of Employer and Industry Engagement at Eleven Fifty Academy, says that by the year 2025, over 60% of all positions will require some sort of post-secondary education, even outside of tech. In the meantime, employers suffer from missed opportunities as they wait for the workforce to meet skill demands.
Including a hefty price tag, the skills gap comes with a laundry list of negative ramifications. When employees can’t comprehend the technology at their fingertips, productivity is reduced, customer service is less effective, innovation in product development declines, and business profitability is lowered. Of the 80% of companies that are facing digital transformation, 90% are struggling to keep up, according to a Monday survey from AppDirect.
This doesn’t necessarily mean everyone has to earn a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree, but rather practice continuing education in new form factors that meet the goals of employer and employee alike. Bootcamps and certifications can help keep up with the ever changing nature of work. Understanding and championing new technology, as well as tapping into tech-related talents, will be critical for employees to narrow the gap.
In response to this widening skills gap in tech, Eleven Fifty Academy has created the Information Technology (IT) Professional bootcamp. The IT Professional bootcamp is a comprehensive training program that will provide individuals the imperative skills to start a new career in the IT industry. The IT Professional bootcamp has an expert-designed curriculum and immersive, hands-on learning experience in this course will enable students to obtain the industry-recognized CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications, which are recognized internationally and by all major employers. The IT Professional bootcamp is designed to prepare anyone from any background for an entry-level job in IT.
Why would students choose a bootcamp over other degree programs? First, an established university can have implications with curriculum changes that can be far-reaching, meaning that it can take years to implement new courses or introduce new subject materials in the classroom. By the time a curriculum and a course has been established, technology has probably moved on from the ideas that are being taught.
Additionally, during the four years a student is in college, they cannot be earning a livable income. Instead, they rely on financial aid and student loans. A 2021 high school graduate can expect to borrow at least $38,100 for their bachelor’s degree after financial aid and scholarships. Within the same four year time frame, someone who takes an entry-level IT job could earn $122,880 or likely much more. Even the lowest amount is more than three times, to the positive, the amount they would have taken in student loans, to the negative, if they would have merely attended college. While in their entry level position, they could also complete on-the-job training and certifications to gain real-world experience, allowing them to rank themselves in higher jobs positions and increase their income faster. Taking this path also leaves room for getting a degree after significant skills and job experience have been acquired via non-traditional, online, asynchronous degree programs.
“Employers need people in a variety of tech roles, and we believe it’s just as important to invest in people on the IT and network side as it is to invest in coders and cybersecurity experts,” says Scott Jones, Founder and President of Eleven Fifty Academy. “Employer demand simply cannot wait for the next generation of IT professionals to spend four years gaining skills that can be found 16 times faster in a bootcamp within three to six months.”
A student’s experience with Eleven Fifty Academy doesn’t end with graduation. The Academy operates at a 70% job placement rate—even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Academy’s Career Services team is focused on connecting graduates with tech employers who are looking for their next great hire.
About Eleven Fifty Academy
Eleven Fifty Academy is a non-profit institution focused upon high quality, immersive software development, web development, UX/UI design, IT professional and cybersecurity bootcamp courses designed to accelerate the learning curve for people of all ages and skill sets. The mission of Eleven Fifty Academy is to build an ecosystem of tech talent that financially benefits the individual, their employer and their community. For more information, visit elevenfifty.org. Eleven Fifty Academy’s headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
