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November 21, 2008

Want to get a job in IT field? State will pay for retraining

By JESSE DAVIS

With recreational vehicle manufacturers in the area announcing layoffs, shutdowns and closings left and right, one local company is doing something to help.

MapleTronics, through its MapleTraining arm, held two free seminars Wednesday for workers who have lost their jobs. The MapleTraining staff explained the benefits of retraining for an information technologies (IT) career and how those who have lost their jobs can apply for state grants to pay for schooling. Nearly 50 displaced workers attended the morning seminar, held in one of MapleTraining’s conference rooms.

Former employees of Coachmen Industries, Monaco Coach, Forest River, Dutchmen Manufacturing and Skyline Corp. and several other companies were in attendance.

“I think one of the things I really try to emphasize (about IT careers) is the job security,” MapleTronics Business Development Specialist Rene Echartea said. “I don’t want people to get too hung up on the money. It seems to be a little of a misconception that it’s a get-rich-quick career.”

Echartea worked in the RV industry for 10 years before making his transfer into the IT field. Displaced workers looking for training now, however, have an advantage he didn’t. Ten million dollars has been made available from the state as grants of up to $6,000 each for former RV workers laid off after May 1. There has been some talk state officials may push that date back to Jan. 1. The grants can be used toward getting an associate’s degree or an industry-recognized certification in a high-demand occupation.

During the seminar, Echartea and MapleTraining’s Vice President Beth Snow explained the benefits of IT training, how to apply for the state grant and what class tracks are available through MapleTraining.

Applying for a grant

In order to acquire a grant, applicants must first select a school and education path, then contact and register with WorkOne, the state’s employment agency. They will then receive a training voucher which can be taken to the school, in this case MapleTraining, and use it to enroll in their chosen program.

For those who successfully acquire a grant, MapleTraining offers several options. Individual classes are available as well as package deals depending on what part of the IT arena the trainee wants to focus on. Three packages are currently available, all affordable under the grant at costs of $5,995 and $6,000.

“The primary one seems to be the A+ certification program. It seems to be the one more in demand at this point,” Echartea said.

A+ certification trains people to perform installations, configurations, diagnosing, preventive maintenance and basic networking. Certification programs are also available for Network+ and MCDST (Microsoft Certified Desk Support Technician), as well as a computer literacy class.

“We’ve made it very clear that it’s not the career for everyone. But overall response has been really good. We’ve been getting across to them the importance of computer skills is what’s really going to help them,” Echartea said.

Some workers are still unsure whether the process of applying for the grant and enrolling will be as simple as it seems.

Workers wonder

“We’ll see if it gets approved by WorkOne,” Cathy Johnson of Elkhart said.

Despite her apprehension, she appreciates the opportunities offered by MapleTraining.

“It’ll definitely get me in the direction I want to go even if it doesn’t get me a job,” she said.

Echartea noted that he would like to see an introductory computer class offered through WorkOne and the state that grant funds could be applied to. So far, the state has not approved any educational programs for the grants with relation to basic computer skills.

“It would be nice to see those kind of programs recognized as well. I think we could help a lot more people if that was the case,” Echartea said.

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