CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -Eight people will receive free tuition for a cybersecurity class in Cedar Rapids in effort to draw more people to the high demand field. The occupation is expected to grow 33% by 2030 according the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Indeed shows there are 271 current openings for cybersecurity jobs in Iowa alone.
DeltaV Code School in Cedar Rapids will offer the free course in March, thanks to newly awarded state funding for the program through Future Ready Iowa.
Alex Shields of Cedar Rapids had a career in professional theatre, until the pandemic. He applied for an IT class through DeltaV in 2020, which was also free of tuition. Shields completed his class around a year ago.
“To have no tuition costs at all is just complete icing on top,” he explained.
The course helped Shields switch careers and walk away with no debt.
“I feel very fortunate as I know everybody else does who gets picked for this program,” he said.
The cybersecurity class starting next month will run for 10 weeks.
”For people to get hands on training full time in a very accelerated manner but with lots of support to walk right into these IT careers that employers need now,” explained Kathy Leggett, Future Ready Iowa Policy Advisor at Iowa Workforce Development.
The class is accepting applications until February 28th .
”We’re really hopeful that we can fill with a diversity of different backgrounds,” said Dan Tuuri, a DeltaV Instructor.
The group is breaking down barriers for those who may not otherwise get into the tech field, by not only offering free tuition, but giving those selected for the course a laptop to keep.
“When we look at how do we create the most opportunity for the most people things like equipping folk with a laptop that they’re able to have the tools in their possession,” Tuuri said.
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