If you’re looking to change careers to a technology focus, or you want to improve your skills in the existing path you’ve chosen, learning programming skills at can be one of the surest ways forward.
According to recent research, most of the top ten most in-demand tech jobs predicted for this year are all some variation of engineers or developers, with cybersecurity engineers leading the way. (With billions of people affected by data breaches each year, it’s easy to see why cybersecurity is at the top of the list.)
Various developer roles are also listed among the most in-demand tech jobs in the IT market according to Robert Half Technology’s recent IT salary report.
With all the attention being paid towards the role of IT, and amidst an increasing focus on it given the constant focus on cybersecurity, how can you position yourself best for these important jobs?
The AIM Institute’s Interface Web School is helping to train more tech talent in the Midwest. Today’s post will explain what you can learn at Interface, and who should consider attending.
First, a quick primer on what to expect out of Interface Web School and why it was created.
Interface is an Omaha-based web developer training school. Located at 19th and Howard, Interface offers classes that can fit anyone’s schedule, from 1-day workshops to in-depth, multi-week courses on web development held in the evening so anyone can attend.
There are many individuals who have already begun a career, but who want to expand their skills and branch out into more skilled professions like programming. Interface was built to empower those individuals who want to enter a career in web services.
Whether your only knowledge of coding is what you’ve seen in the movies, or you’ve built a few websites already, Interface Web School can help you improve your skills.
Courses vary depending on demand, but our training opportunities range from introductory classes to specializations for more advanced learners.
Newcomers can dive into the foundations of web development to get a start in understanding HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/jQuery. If none of those terms ring a bell, that’s okay—by the time you wrap up your first introductory class, you’ll have the confidence you need to dive deeper into each.
More advanced learners can specialize in courses covering Java, .NET, and Cobol programming languages.
Interface has also partnered with Omaha Data Science Academy to create a certificate designed to teach you how about data discovery and data-driven decision making, so you can get the skills necessary to enhance your existing career and pivot toward being a data scientist (one of the 13 most in-demand tech jobs from our earlier list!)
So, now that you know what Interface Web School can offer, how do you know if you’re the right type of fit for classes there?
The answer is pretty simple. Anyone who wants to improve their web skills to maintain a competitive edge in today’s job market should consider attending.
Above all, Interface is accessible for learners of multiple skills levels; the school wants everyone to feel welcome. Interface provides practical training and immersive learning to help people get real results and advance their careers in ways they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
Click here to sign up for the next information session to learn more about Interface Web School.
Reisman was selected by NASA in 1998 as a mission specialist astronaut. While at NASA, Dr. Reisman completed two space missions, including one in 2008 where he spent 95 days on the International Space Station. He has flown aboard both the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
After leaving NASA in 2011, Dr. Reisman joined SpaceX where he worked for Elon Musk and prepared SpaceX for human spaceflight as the Director of Space Operations. Currently, he is a Professor of Astronautical Engineering at USC and a Senior Advisor at SpaceX.
The mission of Infotec is to enable technology leaders to better prepare themselves for the challenges of the future, for technology specialists to grow their knowledge, and for everyone to find new ways to solve problems.
Infotec attendees can expect to be inspired by Dr. Reisman’s story of how he built a career working with innovative technologies, while also participating in a wide range of workshops and breakout sessions geared toward gaining insights, investigating new tech trends, ideating and sharing with peers.
When: April 1st & 2nd
Where: Embassy Suites, La Vista
Cost: $199 (Early bird ticket sales end soon)
Register now and guarantee your access to breakout sessions, our recently announced Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM) and Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO) workshops, a bustling exhibition floor, and more!
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Through the educational and career development programs of AIM Institute, the nonprofit behind Infotec and the parent company of Silicon Prairie News, proceeds from ticket sales are infused into programs directly supporting and strengthening the tech talent pipeline across the Midwest region.
Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM)
Certified ScrumMaster with instructor, “Agile Bob” Hartman, will teach participants to master the Scrum framework and the underlying Agile principles, practices and techniques to succeed as a certified ScrumMaster®.
This training provides all of the core concepts taught by top-rated trainers and expert coaches from Agile For All. Beyond learning the Scrum framework the trainers will, inspire, challenge and motivate you. We guarantee our CSM workshop will be a one-of-a-kind experience, instilling confidence to engage successful Agile practices right away.
Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO)
Learn by doing. Develop your role as a Product Owner for any Scrum team.
This two-day CSPO course offers a deeper understanding of how Scrum works, focusing extensively on the skills and practices you need to succeed as a Scrum Product Owner® .
Infotec workshops run from April 1-2. To register, visit infotec.org.
Early bird tickets are now available for Infotec, coming to the Embassy Suites La Vista on April 1 and 2.
Infotec was started by the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) in 1973 as a hardware trade show for IT enthusiasts. In the eight years since it was acquired by Omaha-based AIM Institute, the annual event has grown into one of the Silicon Prairie’s premier annual business tech gathering.
This year’s Infotec will feature cutting-edge speakers, networking events and training workshops covering a wide range of topics such as security, tech leadership, big data, innovation and more.
Not just an event for big businesses and tech professionals, the event also targets startups. Last year’s Infotec featured workshops from Brian Ardinger on what enterprises can learn from startups, and a data science panel featuring Kelly Burdine, Data Analyst Lead at Hudl.
2019 speakers and session topics will be announced shortly. In the meantime, early bird tickets are available through February 22 on the Infotec website.
OMAHA – Twenty-one Interface Web School students, surrounded by family and friends and showered with praise from their instructors, were honored at a celebration Thursday night for completing their Fall 2018 coding classes.
The graduation took place at the AIM Exchange Building at 19th and Harney streets in downtown Omaha.
The students got certificates of completion for their work in Foundations of Web Development and COBOL programming courses. Three students who are nearing completion in their Microsoft .NET class were also recognized.
Kathryn Russell was one of six students in her Foundations of Web Development course. She had previously taken some self-taught online classes, but said there were advantages to the classroom setting Interface provided.
“It was nice to get some formal training through the class and realize, ‘oh that’s what they actually meant by doing that,’ where I was kind of doing a ‘broken’ method that still kind of worked, but was technically garbage,” she laughed.
(Interface graduate Kathryn Russell, her partner Blaine Red Ear Horse, and their 6-month old daughter, Zintkala Cik’ala (Little Bird).)
Before each student received his or her certificate, Interface instructors Kent Smotherman, Karen Denholm, Christian Burk and Joel Rainear-Wills spoke of their hard work and accomplishments.
“They are awesome students and I am grateful for them,” said Rainear-Wills, Interface’s .NET instructor.
The instructors praised the students for their perseverance, artistic ability, learning a “developer mindset” and “outstanding” work.
“It’s like going from crawling to running a 5K,” Burk said of the 10-week Foundations course.
Russell said the one-on-one attention she received from Burk made a big difference in her learning experience.
“He was really exciting and really engaging,” said Russell. “It was really nice to have him be passionate and curious, and I mean, he was a teacher, but at the same time he was a student for us too, so it was a really cool relationship. And that was beyond what I expected.”
(The graduation celebration took place on the historic Trading Floor of the AIM Exchange Building. Interface Director Ellen Myer addressed the graduates, and their friends and families.)
Pam Kryss, a software development manager and Scrum master at CSG International, said she came to the ceremony to support Interface’s mission of helping non-traditional students break into tech professions.
“Me personally, I don’t look as closely at the education portion of a resume as I will review what their experience has been and what their skills are, because a lot of people are self-taught, and some people can’t afford a four-year university either. So it’s great I was made aware of this untapped talent pool for CSG,” she said.
Kryss described how her organization had a developer leave last October, and said it took until this past May to replace that person.
“It is actually really difficult. It is incredibly difficult to get tech talent,” she said. “I plan on continuing to promote the AIM Interface School. I’ve been a huge proponent of it ever since I found out about it. I’ve reached out to our HR, our recruiter and my entire organization to make them aware of it.”
Russell, whose partner is Lakota, says she hopes to eventually help bring tech training opportunities to the Pine Ridge Reservation.
“The tech world needs us. They need women, they need people of color, they need diversity,” says Russell. “And I think having Interface be a part of that, connecting businesses with different types of people who aren’t your traditional four-year students — they’re missing out on a lot of tech talent.”
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For more information about Interface Web School, visit aiminterfaceschool.com
