The pipeline of qualified talent for technology jobs in the Tampa Bay area is strengthened by St. Petersburg College’s use of committed industry leaders on their advisory committees, and the development of a flexible and relevant curriculum that includes internships and apprenticeships. As a result, SPC has become a leading resource of IT job talent in Tampa Bay. More importantly, the efforts change lives and the economic landscape of the community.
Strengthening partnerships and building a sustainable pipeline of talent for technology jobs
On Friday May 20, St. Petersburg College hosted the Technology Executive Council of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF) in a session designed to highlight the College of Computer and Information Technology’s (CCIT) programs and the role of their advisory committee.
Dr. Sharon Setterlind, the Dean of CCIT, shared with a group of more than 35 Tampa Bay IT executives about how advisory committee members:
- Promote SPC academic programs
- Advise on industry needs for curriculum development
- Provide internships
- Prepare students for the workplace
- Support events and career fairs
- Participate in the bachelor program’s Capstone
- Serve on scholarship committees
Dr. Bill Cross reached out to the group to take part in the Enterprise Experience where a team of students are sent out to a local business to work on an IT problem.
John Kuemmel, CIO, Triad Retail Media informed the group of his company’s positive involvement in the Capstone project last year and reinforced the value of participation.
Muslim Gadiwalla, CIO of the City of St. Petersburg, who actively serves on the CCIT Advisory Board, talked about how the City of St. Petersburg has supported the CCIT Internship Program and has in fact, hired a few SPC students. His comments were echoed in the videos of CCIT Chair Chris Paul and advisory member and alum, Mayra Harley.
Internships and apprenticeships help students land local technology jobs
Susan Biszewski-Eber, past Internship Coordinator for CCIT and now Apprenticeship Coordinator on a $5 million Department of Labor grant, provided information on the value of the CCIT internship and apprenticeship programs.
Internships are required in all CCIT A.S. programs and are a paid or unpaid 3-credit-hour course used for end-of-program assessment. Apprenticeships are paid full-time, year-long, in-field experience, with structured on-the-job training. The value of apprenticeships are that they reduce turnover, improve revenue growth and are cost-effective solutions to training and retaining a professional workforce.
The TBTF recently released a new study on the employment gap in the Information Technology field. John Shedd, CIO Arbitron Forums and chair of the TBTF Workforce Committee supported the study by explaining a need for developing a talent pipeline for technology jobs using new initiatives and out of the box thinking.
Daniel James Scott, Executive Director of TBTF after the meeting said “more than ever, we are excited about our continuing and deepening partnership with CCIT and the entire college.”
St. Petersburg College will continue building the IT talent pipeline through its CCIT programs that include internships, capstone experiences and apprenticeships by forming partnerships with local IT industry leaders.