Red Hat’s workforce development program to create skilled IT workers in Massachusetts

Addressing the current technology talent shortage is critical for both organizations and individuals. Forty-six percent of employers plan to increase their open source hiring this year, and they’ll need a steady pipeline of prospects to fill their open positions. For prospective employees, a career in IT means an average annual salary of more than $100,000, opportunities for growth and advancement, and the chance to work in a fast-paced and exciting industry.

However, not everyone can or wants to go to college for four years or more to receive a degree in Computer Science. That leaves a lot of potential IT workers with skills that are just waiting to be honed.

To address this need, we created the Red Hat workforce development program for aspiring IT professionals and their future employers. The program helps non-degree-seeking students, including those interested in changing careers or starting new ones, receive hands-on training on Red Hat technologies and the chance to become certified Red Hat System Administrators. As a result, enterprises will receive qualified, entry-level talent with experience using open source software.

We began the program in 2021 with partnerships with two North Carolina community colleges – Wake Technical Community College and Fayetteville Technical Community College with plans to expand the program to address the technology talent shortages affecting organizations and individuals across the country. 

That’s why we’re excited to announce that, beginning in 2023, we will partner with Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts to offer the Red Hat workforce development program to students throughout the Commonwealth.

Creating equity in Massachusetts’ technology workforce

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been highly proactive in promoting workforce development for students and young people seeking to enter the technology sector. For example, the commonwealth recently hosted STEM Week to help boost interest in STEM-related careers, particularly for women, people of color, people with disabilities, and English language learners. 

Offering the Red Hat workforce development program through community colleges throughout Massachusetts complements the commonwealth's ongoing technology workforce development initiatives. The program is designed to create equity in the technology workforce by providing underrepresented individuals with the chance to learn essential skills they can take into the marketplace. 

That resonates with Massachusetts’ Lieutenant Governor, Karyn Polito, who recently attended a workforce development event at Red Hat’s Boston offices. “Programs like the one offered by Red Hat can be essential in making a career in technology a reality for a student who may not otherwise have the chance to work in the field,” said Polito, who is also the co-chair of Massachusetts’ STEM Advisory Council. “We need more programs like this to provide people with accessible and essential IT skills training.” 

Growing and evolving

Red Hat’s partnerships with Massachusetts and North Carolina are only the beginning of what promises to be a growing and evolving workforce development program. We will continue to look for opportunities to partner with additional states throughout the country as we work together to achieve our workforce development goals and minimize the technology talent gap.

To learn more about Red Hat Training and Certification’s global workforce development program, visit the new landing page here.