With the lowest unemployment numbers since 2008 it would seem that the US job market is on the rebound. However, in the Information Technology sector jobs are going unfilled every day. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor projects more than 1 million jobs in programming alone will go unfilled by 2020.
This at a time when more and more companies need trained IT professionals to help support the increasingly complex computer systems and programs that run their businesses.
Missouri is taking these challenges on through programs like LaunchCode, Claim Academy and others.
LaunchCode is a non-profit organization based in St. Louis, Missouri, that works with companies to set up apprenticeships in technology for talented people who lack the traditional IT credentials. LaunchCode found that most companies were searching for IT candidates with a four-year degree and 3-5 years of experience. However, there are many intelligent, hardworking people, with aptitudes towards IT and programming, who are available to hire but don’t fit into these traditional criteria. LaunchCode’s practice is founded upon finding these people and giving them the skills needed to enter the IT workforce.
LaunchCode pairs people aiming to work in technology with top-level employers through paid apprenticeships and job placement. Over 90% of apprentices end up with full time employment in technology. Companies such as MasterCard, GE, Panera, Anheuser-Busch, Square and Univision are already using the innovative program in Missouri.
Missouri-based, and immigrant-founded, Claim Academy takes a slightly different approach. Claim Academy offers 12-week crash courses in programming. They focus on hands-on learning rather than lectures, and real world application rather than memorization. The program gives programmers the skills they need to enter the job market more quickly than through a four-year degree program.
Organizations like these are bridging the gap between IT talent and the companies that need them. By offering new ways and opportunities for hardworking, intelligent people to get the skills needed to quickly enter the workforce, the IT gap is closing, and unfilled jobs are being filled by Missouri talent.
For more information on Missouri’s Information Technology sector visit http://www.missouripartnership.com/Industries/Missouris-Industries/Information-Technology
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