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Michigan Shifting Careers

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  • Michigan Shifting Gears and Shifting Code

    Michigan Shifting Gears and the Shifting Code program are career-transition programs designed to help seasoned professionals develop the skills and training to transition into small company work environments (Shifting Gears) or into IT careers (Shifting Code).  The programs include an assessment, comprehensive classroom, mentorship, coaching, small business simulation and internships. By the end of this training, the participant is transformed into a more adaptable professional with experiences, knowledge and skills related to their new role.  

    Follow this link to learn more about the program and to sign up for a free information session:
    • Michigan Shifting Gears
      • Stop thinking and start doing! Michigan Shifting Gears is a career-transition program for seasoned corporate professionals who want to pursue opportunities in business growth sectors where they can leverage their business knowledge and experience in new ways.
    • Michigan Shifting Code
      • Michigan Shifting Code is designed to address critical workforce shortage areas related to computer programming and other demand occupations which are considered key to helping sustain and grow Michigan’s emerging IT industry. Each Shifting Code project is determined by local market conditions and designed to quickly respond to demand from regional employers with similar program language/staffing needs by customizing training solutions that can be targeted at unemployed or underemployed technical talent or those seeking to transition to high-demand software programming occupations. 

    Why it Matters:

    With layoffs, pay cuts and a changing global business landscape, many want to (or are forced) to start a new career.  Small companies and startups are the largest creators of new jobs and the IT sector has been growing rapidly across Michigan with CNN asking if Detroit was becoming “the next Silicon Valley.’’ Career changers can also bring their experience and knowledge and put it to good use.

    Background:

    Shifting Gears began as an attempt to transition highly skilled persons laid off from a large corporate employer in southeast Michigan into new employment.  Unforeseen barriers arose as experienced professionals working in a large corporate environment struggled to adapt to the different environment and demands of the entrepreneurial culture of small companies and startups. 

    Ann Arbor SPARK took the lead in trying to assist these professionals in overcoming these barriers through Shifting Gears. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation added and expanded the program to its statewide offerings in early 2011. The results have been impressive: 49 percent of participants land new jobs within three months, 69 percent land positions within six months and 80 percent have reported landings at nine months.

    Shifting Code launched in January 2012 with the first cohort completing a Drupal training program through Ann Arbor SPARK. Another two cohorts have since received training in JavaScript through a partnership between Wayne County Community College District and the Workforce Intelligence Network, while other cohorts and additional training programs will soon be coming online with plans to launch as many as 10 cohorts around the state this year.