Deynn ?Dee? Hampton started her IT career a few months ago and she?s already a certified ?scrum master,? working on software projects at 3M Co.
Just as important, Hampton, 47, a single mom who has worked since high school at jobs that paid less than $15 an hour, is now a $30,000-plus professional on a path to $50,000 within a few years as her skills grow.
?I?m fortunate to be at one of the most innovative companies in the world,? said Hampton. ?My work ethic is strong and I?m taking advantage of what I?m learning, taking notes and volunteering for everything I can.
?I?m learning ?agile program? management and I?m an agile thinker, so I can go wherever I need to go. Eventually, I want to be a consultant, to work for myself and with companies and train scrum masters five to 10 years from now.?
Hampton is part of a new initiative of York Solutions, an IT consulting firm led by a couple of guys who understand the value of a second chance.
Richard Walker, CEO of York, which has more than 450 employees and contractors, smiled as he talked earlier this month about Hampton. He remembers her children attending graduation last fall after her several weeks of training.
?Dee now has the opportunity to make more than $50,000 and reach goals she once thought impossible,? Walker said. ?That?s why we?re doing this. To me there?s nothing more important, after my family, than how many lives can I positively impact and help them reach their professional goals.?
Walker, 50, works for York founder and Chairman Bill Carr, 66, who grew up on the south side of Chicago and did a tour of duty in Vietnam a half-century ago. Carr started York Solutions 25 years ago in Chicago, and Walker has turned the Twin Cities into its operational and employment hub since he came aboard in 2000.
Carr, the veteran, and Walker, an immigrant who started out as a bricklayer in a small village in England, last year decided they wanted to expand their training program to include more veterans and underemployed folks who were interested in IT careers.
Moreover, in a near full employment economy, it?s only fair and smart for employers to get as many folks as possible working at their maximum potential. Growing economies like those of the Twin Cities have thousands of openings for technical, support and related workers.
The York Solutions Barriers to Entry Program (B2E), which isn?t easy to get into, has trained 20 and expects to produce 50 to 60 IT rookies every year. York pays them $15 an hour and guarantees an entry-level job in IT project management at a client company.
?It?s a yearlong coaching and mentoring commitment and (York contractors) are welcome to take a position with the employer, our client partners,? Walker said. ?It doesn?t fit everybody. But we?re excited with all the new folks such as Dee. This is working.?
(Source: TNS)
