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IT Apprenticeship Showcase and Mixer gives high school students a snapshot into future careers

By Chris Caldwell 

Southwest celebrates National Apprenticeship Week with a business showcase and mixer Nov. 15, 2022 at the Macon Cove Campus.
Southwest celebrates National Apprenticeship Week
with a business showcase and mixer Nov. 15, 2022
at the Macon Cove Campus.

Southwest Tennessee Community College’s department of Business and Technologies hosted its first annual Saluqi Apprentice Showcase and Mixer Nov. 15, 2022 at the Macon Cove Campus, giving students in attendance a first-hand hand look at the program’s Information Technology Apprenticeship Program and its many benefits. 

The IT Apprenticeship Program is a 14-week paid internship funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Closing the Skills Gap Grant in partnership with the Greater Memphis IT Council and the University of Memphis, providing over 800 students the opportunity to get hands on experience in IT related fields. 

“As technology continues to push job roles in ways we don’t yet understand, the next generation of IT professionals must be vigilant in innovation and design and implement strategies that protect data,” Dean of Business and Technologies Dr. Charles Baker said. “We are funneling students into these critical jobs though our apprenticeship program. Our department has had great success in building partnerships with local companies and organizations -  in fact, we have partnered with 15 organizations in the Memphis area that have helped support over 300 students in the IT professional and technical development fields and with professional development.”  

Dual enrollment students from Cordova, Bolton and Southwind high schools were as eager as Southwest students to learn about the new advancements emerging in the IT market and were given a snapshot of what a future career in IT might look like from guest speakers representing the Greater Memphis IT Council, IMC Companies and the University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering. Current and former Southwest apprentices provided their own view of how their apprenticeships prepared them to enter the workforce career-ready. 

Southwest Tennessee Community College Business and Technologies Apprenticeship Coordinator Roshunda Buchanan said these events are a great way to introduce young students to the IT profession. “It’s not just about taking courses and then finding a job; apprenticeships compliment the coursework and provide the apprentice with the cutting-edge knowledge and training to be competitive in today’s job market. We plan to host more of these mixers in the future.”  

Students from Southwind and Bolton high schools at Southwest’s IT Apprenticeship Showcase and Mixer inside the Bert Bornblum Library.
Students from Southwind and Bolton high schools at Southwest’s IT Apprenticeship Showcase and Mixer inside the Bert Bornblum Library.