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| 7/28/2010 10:58:00 AM | Onshore Technologies to begin 'boot camp' Aug. 16
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by Chris Roberts - Editor
Onshore Technology Services announced July 26 that it will start its second class of "boot camp" for software developers on Aug. 16 in the Joseph Newman Business & Technology Innovation Center.
The company graduated its first class of five students in April 2009. The company offers these fast-track programs for underutilized or out-of-work residents in small towns who are looking to enter into a more lucrative career but don't have the funds or time to dedicate to a four-year degree. The idea of the class is to compress preparation and qualification for high-skill information technology jobs into a small period - 15 weeks - in order to bring employees into the workforce as quickly as possible. The business model is one that has proven highly successful for the company.
"Through the economic downturn, our business overall - we've doubled in size," said Shane Mayes, president and CEO of Onshore Technology. "We've reached an influx of growth that was beyond what we imagined. We now serve Fortune 500 companies from all across the country. It turns out that we can do well here in tough economic times, and that gets to what Onshore is. We take underemployed, dislocated workers and make engineers out of them."
Upon completion of the program, graduates are guaranteed a position with Onshore Technology. Jeff Villmer, executive vice president of the company, said this class offers a unique opportunity for a fulfilling career with Onshore, as well as gives the possibility for job placement within the field elsewhere. The company has offices in Macon and Lebanon, and Villmer said targeted small towns such as those has proven successful in retaining those fresh software engineers.
"When you're from a small town, you don't really want to leave, and if you do there's a magnetic pull bringing you back," Villmer said. "A lot of these people don't have a college education, and it would take five years otherwise to reach this level of training - we don't have time for that. With this program, once they graduate from the class they'll be able to start being billable on projects (for Onshore). And they're never on their own. Our retention is well over 90 percent."
Onshore currently has 12 people working in an office at 613 S. Main St., but Villmer said the goal is to grow to 50 employees by the end of the year.
Tom Campbell, previously of Accenture - a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company with an office also located within the Newman building - will be instructor of the class. He is a graduate of Crowder College and Missouri Southern State University and has worked for Accenture for the past five years. He said this second class for Onshore represents a huge opportunity for Joplin.
"There is a lot of talent in the Joplin area," he said. "Traditionally this is an area (of expertise) that is restricted to people with a four-year degree. It can be a very lucrative field, and it's something that has grown through the recession. Technology is the way of the future and Onshore is bringing that to Joplin."
The classes will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Newman Center. Those wishing to enroll can do so by visiting Onshore's offices at 613 S. Main St. After sign-up, each student must take a computer programmer aptitude battery and participate in a behavioral interview. Campbell said he anticipates a class of 15. He said students can expect to learn Java programming language, with training that is industry specific.
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