“I feel like Interface lit the fire in me to be more aggressive with accomplishing what I want in my life,” says Alyssa Wilson, a graduate of the Interface Web School.
After a career in visual publications and graphic design, Alyssa now works as a software development engineer at Fiserv, which provides technology solutions to the financial world.
Interface changed the course of her life. In 2015, a good friend told Alyssa about a web development class she was taking at Interface. Although Alyssa had received her associate’s degree in visual publications, graphic design, web design, and print production in 2004, she was not up-to-date on HTML5 and the latest version of CSS.
Alyssa decided to give Interface a shot. Fiserv covered the cost for her to attend the Foundations of Web Development course.
While keeping her dayjob, she attended Interface classes and completed her homework at night.
“I dropped off the face of the earth for like twelve weeks,” Alyssa says. “But it’s completely worth it. You get your money’s worth, for sure.”
Though the homework could be intense, Alyssa and a group of Interface classmates would meet on Sundays at Starbucks to share their knowledge and troubleshoot problems as they developed their skills.
Interface upgraded her ability to learn different programming languages and gave her a sense of the importance of the tiniest details in code.
She obtained a new position at Fiserv as a software development engineer working with COBOL. COBOL is an in-demand programming language relied on by major corporations and financial institutions; many current COBOL programmers are aging out of the workforce, leaving tech talent gaps that companies are scrambling to fill.
“COBOL classes are the thing to take,” Alyssa says. “All of those people that coded back in the day, they’re retiring. The only people that actually had COBOL in school were people who started here years ago.”
(Interface offers a 14-week certification course in COBOL programming. Scholarships are available. Check out an Interface info session to learn more.)
Moreover, Interface inspired Alyssa to return to college.
“Since I only had my associate’s degree, I decided to go back,” she says. “Once I got a taste of school, I wanted some more.” Alyssa is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree in information systems technology with an emphasis in software development at Doane University.
Her time at Interface allowed her to build community connections. She served on the board of Girls Who Code, a nonprofit aiming to support and increase the number of women in computer science. She also volunteered for Lincoln Coding Women, a group of women in tech supporting an inclusive environment for learning and exploring technology.
“I just think it’s really important to get the word out to kids, and women, specifically, that tech is a cool thing,” Alyssa says. “If you have a career in tech, you could have an awesome future.”
Alyssa offers some valuable advice for people thinking about attending Interface.
“Make sure it’s something you can completely focus on and that you won’t have anything else distracting you. Don’t have it be something that you’re taking on on top of a whole bunch of other different things, because it is time-consuming. But in the long run, it’s completely worth it. I mean, I have a job I didn’t think I would have.”
According to Alyssa, Interface was more than just a course, it was a path to a new life.
“I wish more people had knowledge of how cool Interface is, how many cool people that you meet, how involved in the community you can get through the course,” she says.
Check out a free Interface info session to get started on a rewarding career in technology or to upgrade your current skills.
AIM Institute, Frannet of the Heartland, and growmedia.com team to host “Laid Off & Launching It” Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Free event helps displaced workers who are considering the launch of a new technical career OR starting a business.
Omaha, Neb. (April 8, 2019) — There are hundreds of workers in the Omaha region looking for their next opportunity due to employer downsizing, layoffs and business closures. AIM Institute, Frannet of the Heartland, and growmedia.com will host “Laid off and Launching It” on Wednesday, May 1 at AIM Institute to help individuals identify new technical careers or entrepreneurial pathways.
This FREE, public event will be held Wednesday, May 1 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in downtown Omaha at the AIM Exchange building, 1905 Harney Street on the 7th floor. Attendees may attend for all or part of the event. Registration is recommended but not required. Register here: (Eventbrite registration page under development).
A “Q and A” format panel discussion will provide insight on re-training or self-employment for professionals in career transition. Speakers include:
ABOUT AIM INSTITUTE
AIM Institute is an innovative nonprofit that grows, connects and inspires the tech talent community through career development and educational programs. Through these efforts, we improve thousands of lives across the Silicon Prairie. More information about AIM is available at aiminstitute.org.
ABOUT FRANNET OF THE HEARTLAND
FranNet is an International Franchise Consulting Firm that provides education and support to individuals who are interested in exploring self employment as a career option through franchised business ownership.
ABOUT the SBA
Elizabeth Yearwood, Economic Development Specialist for the Nebraska District of the Small Business Administration will describe the many government services that organization offers to entrepreneurs.
ABOUT GROWMEDIA.COM
growmedia.com finds the greatness of small business owners AND their optimum niche markets. Additionally, it inspires owners and launchers via “The Grow Your Biz Show,” a weekly talk show focused on entrepreneurs.
If you hate sitting in a chair eight hours a day learning, you’ll love the Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology at Metropolitan Community College. That’s a message Dr. Thomas Pensabene uses to entice potential students to check out MCC’s advanced prototype design degree, which is offered at the center.
“No two days are the same,” says Dr. Pensabene, associate vice president of workforce and IT innovation at MCC.
The Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology (CAET) is a 9,600 square foot prototyping lab, flexible learning center, and magnet for industry partnerships located on MCC’s Fort Omaha campus. CAET houses 3D printers, 3D scanners, computer-numerical-controlled plasma cutters, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, mills, and other devices necessary for prototyping.
Opened in 2017, the CAET represents a unique partnership between higher education and industry. At CAET, industry professionals work side-by-side with students and MCC faculty to bring prototypes to life, from design to construction and evaluation. Students develop a highly in-demand skillset—prototyping, or the development of real-life models to test and evaluate designs—through hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technology and contemporary workflow design. In return, industry partners receive office space and the chance to spot, nurture, and recruit future talent.
“When you find people who put their hands on something and have actually built something, that experience is exponentially better,” says Curt Brannon, founder and CEO of Sympateco, a manufacturer that supplies national franchises such as Sport Clips and Complete Nutrition with cabinetry and other items. “The practical aspect of this place is just awesome. And I trust that, by the way, more than someone who maybe went to some super school and got a good grade.”
For the past two years, Sympateco has made what Dr. Pensabene calls a “priceless” investment in the CAET, working closely with over 25 students and prototype design instructor Michael Guericke. The relationship between Sympateco and MCC will continue to strengthen, as the Mini-Sympateco Prototype Lab is currently undergoing construction in a wing of the CAET.
Sympateco Vice President Mary Smolsky says the advanced prototyping design program at CAET has been helpful in identifying the kind of practical engineering talent that would fit well within her organization.
“We can try to hire engineers that have gone to school for engineering,” Smolsky says. “But if they’re not okay going out and firing up the machine and building it themselves to understand where it’s gonna break, it’s really hard to teach them how to design for construction.”
While there is not a specific job called prototype design, companies need a skill called prototyping, Dr. Pensabene says. And the need is critical. In fact, although advanced prototype design is a two-year degree, many students are offered jobs during their first year.
Moreover, the CAET represents a sea-change in education, a shift toward practical, hands-on, collaborative experience, and a celebration of the respectability of the trades.
“The world for so long has kind of pulled away from the idea that people can actually sustain life with a trade. And that bothers me,” Brannon says. “That really bothers me.”
Aside from the working relationship developed between Sympateco and MCC, it’s clear Brannon maintains an emotional connection to the CAET, its mission and purpose.
“I think this is just the beginning,” Brannon says. “This is the best foundation for the way certain people think. I was a thinker that would have no problem with being in this environment. When you’re wired that way, you need environments like this, and you need support.”
Smolsky, meanwhile, praises the versatility of the advanced prototyping design degree offered at the CAET.
“Just because it’s focused around manufacturing doesn’t mean you have to end up in manufacturing,” she says. “Let us teach you the thought process of what we’re trying to do and you can apply that to any industry. This is a good spot for: ‘I really don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. But help me get there.’”
“We’re fitting square pegs in round holes all the time,” Dr. Pensabene adds.
The CAET is located at 5300 N. 30th Street on the MCC Fort Omaha campus and is open to the public for a small fee (email prototypelab@nullmccneb.edu for more information). For more information about MCC’s advanced prototype design program, go here.
If you hate sitting in a chair eight hours a day learning, you’ll love the Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology at Metropolitan Community College. That’s a message Dr. Thomas Pensabene uses to entice potential students to check out MCC’s advanced prototype design degree, which is offered at the center.
“No two days are the same,” says Dr. Pensabene, associate vice president of workforce and IT innovation at MCC.
The Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology (CAET) is a 9,600 square foot prototyping lab, flexible learning center, and magnet for industry partnerships located on MCC’s Fort Omaha campus. CAET houses 3D printers, 3D scanners, computer-numerical-controlled plasma cutters, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, mills, and other devices necessary for prototyping.
Opened in 2017, the CAET represents a unique partnership between higher education and industry. At CAET, industry professionals work side-by-side with students and MCC faculty to bring prototypes to life, from design to construction and evaluation. Students develop a highly in-demand skillset—prototyping, or the development of real-life models to test and evaluate designs—through hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technology and contemporary workflow design. In return, industry partners receive office space and the chance to spot, nurture, and recruit future talent.
“When you find people who put their hands on something and have actually built something, that experience is exponentially better,” says Curt Brannon, founder and CEO of Sympateco, a manufacturer that supplies national franchises such as Sport Clips and Complete Nutrition with cabinetry and other items. “The practical aspect of this place is just awesome. And I trust that, by the way, more than someone who maybe went to some super school and got a good grade.”
For the past two years, Sympateco has made what Dr. Pensabene calls a “priceless” investment in the CAET, working closely with over 25 students and prototype design instructor Michael Guericke. The relationship between Sympateco and MCC will continue to strengthen, as the Mini-Sympateco Prototype Lab is currently undergoing construction in a wing of the CAET.
Sympateco Vice President Mary Smolsky says the advanced prototyping design program at CAET has been helpful in identifying the kind of practical engineering talent that would fit well within her organization.
“We can try to hire engineers that have gone to school for engineering,” Smolsky says. “But if they’re not okay going out and firing up the machine and building it themselves to understand where it’s gonna break, it’s really hard to teach them how to design for construction.”
While there is not a specific job called prototype design, companies need a skill called prototyping, Dr. Pensabene says. And the need is critical. In fact, although advanced prototype design is a two-year degree, many students are offered jobs during their first year.
Moreover, the CAET represents a sea-change in education, a shift toward practical, hands-on, collaborative experience, and a celebration of the respectability of the trades.
“The world for so long has kind of pulled away from the idea that people can actually sustain life with a trade. And that bothers me,” Brannon says. “That really bothers me.”
Aside from the working relationship developed between Sympateco and MCC, it’s clear Brannon maintains an emotional connection to the CAET, its mission and purpose.
“I think this is just the beginning,” Brannon says. “This is the best foundation for the way certain people think. I was a thinker that would have no problem with being in this environment. When you’re wired that way, you need environments like this, and you need support.”
Smolsky, meanwhile, praises the versatility of the advanced prototyping design degree offered at the CAET.
“Just because it’s focused around manufacturing doesn’t mean you have to end up in manufacturing,” she says. “Let us teach you the thought process of what we’re trying to do and you can apply that to any industry. This is a good spot for: ‘I really don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. But help me get there.’”
“We’re fitting square pegs in round holes all the time,” Dr. Pensabene adds.
The CAET is located at 5300 N. 30th Street on the MCC Fort Omaha campus and is open to the public for a small fee (email prototypelab@nullmccneb.edu for more information). For more information about MCC’s advanced prototype design program, go here.
