Techtonic Academy Partners with Workforce Boulder County to Provide Career Opportunities in Booming Technology Market

Techtonic Group program will train candidates to become entry-level software engineers and provide a robust career path for underserved populations and military veterans

Techtonic Academy, a division of Boulder-based Techtonic Group, has partnered with Workforce Boulder County to provide career opportunities in technology http://www.mappingyourfuture.org/planyourcareer/ to underserved populations and military veterans in Boulder County.

Techtonic Academy was developed to address the shortage of entry-level software developers facing many businesses, both in Colorado and nationwide. Traditional paths to training like universities, community colleges or software training bootcamps are not viable for those needing full-time employment or who cannot afford tuition or fees. By contrast, Techtonic Academy doesnt charge for training, Instead, those accepted are paid a salary from their first day while they work side-by-side with senior developers to gain coding experience on real client projects under careful guidance and supervision.

There is a great deal of conversation in the tech community about workforce diversity and opportunity. Were thrilled to be working with Techtonic Academy to move beyond conversation and develop a program that is not only helping to increase our skilled tech labor pool, but also provide opportunities to those unable to pursue these outstanding careers via traditional paths, including veterans, said Erin Jones, executive director of Workforce Boulder County, a resource for both jobseekers and businesses seeking employees.

Techtonic Academy, launched in 2014, provides both technical training and mentorship to develop soft skills such as working with other team members, appropriate office attire and demeanor and general project and personal management. After successfully completing the six-month Techtonic Academy curriculum, these fully trained junior developers are eligible for placement with a Techtonic client or within Techtonic Group itself. Should a Techtonic Group customer hire an Academy graduate, there is no conversion fee, which can run as high as 30 percent for a traditional placement firm.

Every new hire whether they come from a traditional software training background or not is a risk. Techtonic Academy is designed specifically to minimize that risk by giving customers the opportunity to work with these developers-in-training so they not only see their code, but get a feel for how theyll fit with the rest of their team, said Heather Terenzio, co-founder and CEO, Techtonic Group. Through our program and now in partnership with Workforce Boulder County we can provide a steady supply of fully trained and vetted junior developers to our clients, she added.

About Techtonic Academy

Techtonic Academy is a division of Techtonic Group, which was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. The company provides software and mobile application development to a diverse customer base from hospital information systems to e-learning, financial services to new media. The company’s Techtonic Academy is a unique training program that equips underprivileged youth and military veterans with software development skills and new career paths through training, mentoring and hands-on project work. For more, please visit http://www.techtonicgroup.com/en/academy.

About Workforce Boulder County

Workforce Boulder County has been a presence in Boulder for more than 30 years and provides easy access to a wide array of employment and training services. The Center consolidates many components of employment and training services, including job counseling, training, referral services, job listings, career workshops, computer labs, hiring events, youth programs and access to an extensive job database.