With a new location at the Corporate Training Center and the addition of non-credit certificate programs, the Tampa Bay High Tech Technology (HITT) Grant Program at St. Petersburg College (SPC) is thriving for the 2014 academic year. Since its start in the fall of 2012, the program has experienced tremendous growth.  According to Dr. James Connolly, Director of Corporate Training at SPC, 52 students out of 155 found employment since August of 2013. “We’re extremely excited,” he said in optimism about the future of the program.

Though the objective of the HITT Grant Program is to help the unemployed get back to work, the program is also designed to “help students get the skills they need to move up in the IT field, “said, Marie Couch, Coordinator of the HITT Grant Program. Kate Caruso also plays a vital role as the Career Outreach Coordinator since she is instrumental in “helping students with their employability skills, making sure that they are ready to get back out to the job market and focus their efforts in a strategic way in the job search,” she said.

One of the significant changes that the HITT Grant Program has experienced is the addition of a Career Outreach Specialist, which is especially critical with non-credit programs. Prior to enrolling in the certificate programs, students are given an assessment to see how knowledgeable they are in a particular field. They also take an assessment test for adult education (TABE) which is a career source requirement to see if they have the math skills needed for the program. Once enrolled, students can now complete their courses in as little as eight weeks. Upon completion, students receive a certificate and a certification voucher is provided to take certification exams. Students begin the program with Agile Development training where they earn a certificate. Agile is used in project management and team building; it was the top sought-after job skill, based on the IT Skills Gap Analysis conducted by Career Source Pinellas.

As in the past, students will once again be able to visit companies such as Tech Data.  In the near future, students will have the opportunity to speak to a recruiter about the hiring process of companies and learn of ways to enter into the IT field. Caruso feels that hands-on opportunities such as what Tech Data provides, instills confidence in students who have been out of work for some time.

For more information about the HITT grant program, please contact Yvette Weiss at 727-608-2498 or e-mail her at tbhitech@careersourcepinellas.com .