Free IT Training in Minneapolis St. Paul Minnesota Creating IT Futures

Twin Cities, MN

As part of the Minneapolis/St. Paul TechHire Initiative and in partnership with Wounded Warrior Project, IT-Ready offers technical support, quality assurance, business analyst, cloud support and core skills training in the Twin Cities. The 8-week, full-time, classroom program is held near the intersection of Highways 494 and 100 in Edina.

Are You Ready for a Career in IT?

We teach bright, motivated individuals who lack opportunity — free of charge — the technical and professional development skills needed to successfully secure work in information technology. These are just a few of the benefits after graduating from Creating IT Futures.

More Earning Potential

The average salary of an IT job in Minnesota is 76% higher than the average state wage.

Career Mobility

More than 10,000 tech jobs are open in the Twin Cities.

Future Growth

By 2026, the number of IT jobs in the Twin Cities will grow by 7%.

Qualification Checklist

With limited classroom space – and overwhelming demand – IT-Ready must be deliberate in its selection process, choosing motivated and interested candidates who are committed to success. The application process starts with these questions:

Are you at least 18 years old?
Are you a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant?
Can you demonstrate financial need?
Are you a high school graduate or do you have a GED?
Do you have access to a computer with internet connection?
Can you commit to eight weeks of unpaid training?
Will you be open to full-time work following your training?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, we encourage you to apply.

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Upcoming Classes

Class Type	CLASS STARTS	APPLICATIONS DUE
QA (Software Testing)	January 28, 2019	January 2, 2019 - Applications are now closed.
Technical Support	April 1, 2019	March 1, 2019 - Applications are now closed.
IT Core Skills	April 8, 2019	March 18, 2019 - Applications are now closed.
Technical Support	June 10, 2019	May 17, 2019 - Applications are now closed.
Business Analyst	July 13, 2019	June 21, 2019 - Applications are now closed.
Cloud Support	August 19, 2019	July 19, 2019 - Apply Now
Technical Support	October 21, 2019	September 20, 2019 - Apply Now

All classes are held at 7505 Metro Boulevard, Edina, MN 55439, unless otherwise noted.

"Creating IT Futures' IT-Ready program allows students to learn basic IT fundamentals while also receiving opportunities for refinement on critical soft skills desired by employers. It's vital to Minnesota citizens who are looking to get started in the IT industry quickly!"

- Representative Sondra Erickson

Program Overview & FAQs

Students who enroll in our classroom-based IT-Ready Technical Support program learn technical skills to help them successfully pass both parts of the CompTIA A+ certification exam.
In our IT-Ready QA class, students prepare for three certifications and learn the foundational skills required to become a software tester – the best practices for breaking software and squashing bugs.
In our IT-Ready BA class, students prepare for two certifications and gain the skills to for tech project coordinator and junior business analyst positions.
In our IT-Ready Cloud Support class, students prepare for four certifications and learn the foundational skills needed for entry-level cloud projects on an IT staff.
In our IT Core Skills class, students earn CompTIA’s IT Fundamentals+ Certification while learning the math, reading, writing and presentation skills that are key to the work of IT professionals. ITCS students also receive instruction in Microsoft Office.
All Creating IT Futures students also receive targeted professional development to refine critical business skills, such as communication and presentation, conflict management, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. Graduates are prepared to apply both technical and professional skills starting Day One of their next job.

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Q1

How long does the class session last and how many people are in class?
All classroom-based Creating IT Futures classes take place over eight weeks with one instructor and up to 25 students. The instructor shares material in a lecture format, but leaves plenty of time for questions, group projects and one-on-one attention, as well as hands-on labs. The online-only classes take place over 12 weeks with up to 35 students per session.
Q2

How much does a class cost?
Creating IT Futures’ classes are underwritten by grants and financial donations, so that students can attend classes for free.
Q3

How long does each class run and is it every day?
Classes are held five days a week, Monday through Friday, beginning promptly at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Students are required to be on time every day; the program allows only one absence and two tardies. Most classes run for 8 weeks. Online classes run for 12 weeks and are held for either 3 hours in the morning or afternoon, depending on which session the student is enrolled.
Q4

What type of job can I expect to get after completing IT-Ready and where?
Within four months of graduating, 85% of IT-Ready students are working in a paid IT role in local area companies. Technical support graduates move into help desk tech roles, building and maintaining a business’ IT environment and assisting its internal and external customers. QA graduates move into software testing roles. BA graduates move into project coordinator and junior business analyst roles. IT-Ready students who pass their certification exams are eligible for a tech job paying up to $15/hour. IT-Ready graduates are effectively employees of that company on a temporary, contract, or full-time permanent basis. IT-Ready staff remain in touch with graduates to ensure all goes smoothly. ITCS graduates are prepared for additional learning to earn industry certifications for a career in technology. Cloud Support graduates move into entry-level tech jobs focused on cloud technologies and systems.

More FAQs

Alumni Career Support

Our alumni benefits encourage continued professional growth and development.

The strong and supportive relationships we build with our students don’t end upon their graduation and employment. Creating IT Futures provides alumni benefits that encourage continued professional growth and development – and offers ways alumni can “pay it forward” and help other deserving individuals.

Our IT-Ready Technical Support graduates who pass the CompTIA A+ certification exams qualify for additional IT training and certification vouchers at no personal expense.

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Alumni Success

Frustrated by a lack of professional advancement in his previous career, IT-Ready grad Albert Lee finds IT offers ample room for growth for tech workers.
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