Entry Level IT Analysis and Report Collate Hiring Needs of 70+ Rhode Island Tech Employers

PROVIDENCE, RI –  Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s industry association for bioscience and information technology, and Bridge Technical Talent, today released their report, “Enter IT RI” – An analysis and report of in-demand entry level IT skill sets in Rhode Island.

The “Enter IT RI” report identifies technical and workforce readiness skillsets required by employers when hiring for entry level IT positions. The analysis is based off of a survey completed by more than 70 Rhode Island technology employers during the fall of 2015/winter of 2016. Findings of the report aim to inform state, education, and industry leaders on the in-demand skill sets required by employers.

In additional to workforce competencies, the report details skills needs specifically for six technical domains: Application Development; Operations Infrastructure; Service Desk; Data Warehousing /Business Intelligence; Information Security; and Project and Portfolio Management.

Focus on Connecting Education and Industry

As IT employers anticipate growth over the next 5 years, recommendations following the report reflect the need to increase industry and education engagement by aligning IT education and career pathways, bolstering the skill sets of entry level employees, and increasing employer engagement in the hiring of local talent. The Enter IT RI report aims to serve as a strategic tool, engaging and connecting all public and private workforce and industry related programs, initiatives and agencies.

Enter-IT RI Summit

The release of the report will be at the Enter IT RI Summit taking place on June 10^th from 9:00 am – 11:00 am at Tech Collective’s offices at 166 Valley Street, Building 3, Providence, RI 02909. The morning will consist of an overview of the report, connection to the ongoing TechHire Rhode Island initiative, and a panel conversation between academia and employers. The panel discussion will focus on the survey outcomes and action plans to foster the continued alignment of employer need with college and university curriculums as well as lessening the skills gap upon employment.

Panelists:

• Peter Moreau, SVP & CIO; Amica
• Joan Peckham, Chair of Computer Science and Statistics; University of Rhode Island
• Anthony Ruocco, Computer Science Program Coordinator; Roger Williams University
• Chris Shoemaker, CTO; MojoTech

“It’s critical that we in RI work together to increase the number of IT workers available for our existing businesses and for courting new businesses to relocate to our state. There are many programs underway to achieve that goal. This report and panel discussion is a first step towards ensuring that we are providing these new IT workers with the in-demand technical and workforce readiness skills they will need”, said Joe Devine, Partner with Bridge Technical Talent.

“As the state’s focus on developing tech talent and meeting employer need continues to intensify, Tech Collective is excited to release the ‘Enter IT RI’ report as a resource to advance that focus,” said Tom Falcone, executive director for Tech Collective. “The report is a tool to drive awareness and collaboration between business and academia, ensuring a comprehensive cycle of talent development, employment, and business and economic growth. We’d also like to give thanks to Bridge Technical Talent for starting this process and working in partnership with us to see it to conclusion.”

Devine adds, “many IT professionals contributed to this survey, report, and panel discussion; but without the support of the Tech Collective, we never would have finished our work.

The Enter IT RI report was funded by an Industry Partnership grant through the Governor’s Workforce Board of Rhode Island (GWBRI). The report is a follow up to Tech Collective’s previous skills gap reports, released in 2007 and 2014, and also funded by GWBRI.

The Enter IT RI Summit is open to the public. Industry, academic, and state leaders and stakeholders are encouraged to attend. For more information on the Summit or to download the “Enter IT RI” report after the Summit, visit www.bridge-talent.com or www.tech-collective.org.

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