Dislocated Iowa workers can enroll in a new, federally funded training program that provides an accelerated pathway toward a career in information technology, Iowa Workforce Development announced Thursday.

IowaWORKS and JobWorks Education and Training Systems are partnering to offer the TechWorks program, a 12-week virtual training that primarily targets Iowans who have lost employment through no fault of their own because of the pandemic.

The Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act National Dislocated Worker Grants fund this opportunity, IWD Public Information Officer Jesse Dougherty told The Center Square in an emailed statement Thursday.

“Our state can’t afford to leave any workers on the sidelines, so we’re thrilled to begin offering this unique pathway to bring more Iowans into high-demand fields,” IWD Director Beth Townsend said in a news release. “It’s no secret that IT professionals are a highly sought-after talent base. This program helps give dislocated workers a skillset and a quick turnaround into a promising career.”

The training leads to A+ certification and IT Fundamental Certification. Program participants receive a free laptop, which they can keep if they complete the full course. IowaWORKS career planners will help guide participants through the course and help them become job-ready.

Iowa has more than 2,500 openings in jobs related to IT.

“While the number of openings can fluctuate on a daily basis, we’re seeing a wide number of different occupations in demand for IT,” Dougherty said. “Currently, we’re seeing the largest demand for Computer Systems Engineers/Architects and Computer Programmers, followed by Software Developers.”

Based on industry growth, IWD projects an estimated 3,645 annual openings in computer and mathematical occupations from 2018 to 2028, he said. Based on the 2019 Iowa Wage Report, entry-level wages are $23.23 and median wage is $37.48.

“With the ever increasing need for IT workers in Iowa any opportunity to up skill Iowans to participate in the innovation economy is a very good thing,” Technology Association of Iowa President Brian Waller told The Center Square in an emailed statement Friday. “Every Iowa company is a technology company and the demand for both entry level and experienced IT workers is at an all-time high and expected to continue in that direction.”

This article was originally posted on Iowa opens federally funded IT job training program