Chattanooga State Community College will premiere its highly anticipated IT Support certificate program at the Office of Family Empowerment, 501 W. 12th Street, Chattanooga, on Monday, October 4 at 9:00 a.m.

“This has been an incredible journey over the past 10 months, but our focus has never wavered, stated Bo Drake, Chattanooga State vice president, Economic Workforce Development. “Through our efforts with the City of Chattanooga, the Enterprise Center, the Chamber, and the American Job Center (AJC), we have identified 11 individuals for our program.” 

The nine-week IT Skill-up program provides instructor-led, hands-on training for residents of the City of Chattanooga, specifically designed to ensure the highest level of quality and outcomes. During week one, the Tech Goes Home course will help participants ramp up their tech skills. "Our Tech Goes Home program will provide participants with hardware and training so that they can hit the ground running with the certification program," said Deb Socia, president, and CEO of The Enterprise Center. "We're pleased to support this opportunity which will give residents, who may previously have little experience with technology, the chance to work in a career that would provide a living wage."

The remaining eight weeks will focus solely on the IT Support certification using the Google curriculum. “Students will attend classes full-time, Monday through Friday from 8:15am-4:15pm at a community center in the city and earn the equivalent of $12.50 per hour while in the program,” added Mr. Drake. This certificate program prepares graduates for such in-demand jobs as technical support specialist, data center technician, IT help desk, IT technician, IT support specialist, computer support specialist, IT help desk technician, computer support, technical support specialist-level 1, or IT assistant. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for these positions starts at $50K and up.

In addition to searching for local employers willing to hire these graduates once they complete the program, Drake has been working with CareerCircle, whose mission is to find jobs for underserved people.

For more information about this program and the unlimited possibilities offered through Chattanooga State’s Economic Workforce Development Division, visit chattanoogastate.edu/economic-workforce-development or call (423) 697-3100.