CAREER TRAINING

Clearly, one of the key ingredients needed for escaping poverty is the ability to earn more income. Our Career Training program is designed to prepare low-income individuals for successful, lucrative careers in high-income career fields. According to the US News STEM Index, many middle-skill, high-income jobs require a high school diploma and some post-secondary technical education, but not a college degree. The Career Training program aims to provide participants with the technical knowledge and experience necessary to compete for these jobs. Currently, the Career Training program offers a course in computer software development...

Software development is the process of writing the instructions that cause a computer to do what you want it to do. From creating the latest video games to making business productivity programs, computer software developers are continually in high demand as the need for more and better software continues to rise. This demand has made software development one of the fastest growing career fields for many years, and that growth is showing no signs of slowing down. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in this field will grow by 17% between 2014 and 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. The salary for software developers is also much higher than average, with a 2015 median yearly income of over $100,000.

The Piasecki Foundation offers a long-term course in this lucrative career field. The course duration is approximately two years and it is provided free of charge to low-income individuals. The purpose of the course is to prepare each participant for a job in this elite occupation. Students are given the opportunity to become proficient in multiple computer languages and in Android app development. You should expect to pay at least $10,000 at a college or "bootcamp" to obtain the same knowledge that our course provides for free. All programming concepts are demonstrated through the use of working sample programs. Toward the end of the course, students may participate in a software development project that provides valuable work experience.