She’s on a mission to boost the region’s tech talent; SnapIT’s new office in Wichita is the next step

Overland Park-based SnapIT Solutions has expanded its promise to deliver high-quality technology job training and educational services into Wichita, Neelima Parasker said, detailing a new partnership between the information technology firm and Wichita State University. 

Neelima Parasker, SnapIT Solutions

“The IT side of the tech industry is now more in demand than ever. … I want to maximize Kansas’ [potential],” said Parasker, founder of SnapIT Solutions, detailing her goal to help develop the region into a hub of skilled tech workers, especially in regard to IT careers. 

Beginning Jan. 31, that mission will begin to take root in Wichita when the university’s technical campus, WSU Tech, launches its first 16-week cloud computing program in partnership with SnapIT, Groover Labs and Keycentrix.

The associates degree program was specifically designed to meet a rising demand for software developers in and around Wichita. Its curriculum was developed in direct partnership with SnapIT, which is certified as a post-secondary training institution through the Kansas Board of Regents. 

Students who graduate the program are expected to reach proficiency in major programming languages that include Python and C# and be ready to enter the job market at the level of junior developer. 

Click here to read more about the program or here to learn more about the recent growth of SnapIT solutions. 

Neelima Parasker, SnapIT Solutions, center, during an announcement event with WSU Tech and Groover Labs in Wichita; photo courtesy of WSU Tech

“A lot of this talent is right away rejected because they don’t have a four-year bachelor’s degree in engineering. Most employers are afraid of giving an opportunity to somebody that’s not able to provide the soft skills and added competencies that we as employers look for,” Parasker explained. 

“This is a [great opportunity] for students to not only train in skill but to think about how to get an employer to give them an opportunity.”

SnapIT hopes to be among such employers, she noted, adding the company has opened an office within the Groover Labs, production development lab, makerspace, and coworking community — where onsite meetings for the largely online program will be held — in hopes of helping students succeed beyond the classroom. 

“We not only train students, we are standing first in line to hire them. We know what we are training is valuable in the market — all they need is time [to learn.]”

Luis Rodriguez, Keycentrix, speaks during an announcement event with WSU Tech and Groover Labs in Wichita; photo courtesy of WSU Tech

Keycentrix has also pledged to offer guaranteed interviews to program graduates. 

“WSU Tech’s Cloud Computing and Cloud Application Development program takes the lead in carving a pathway to the software development jobs of the future,” said Luis Rodriguez, president of Keycentrix. 

“If you are a prospective student looking for a new opportunity in software or cloud computing, or if you are a business breaking open new capabilities or offerings powered by software or cloud computing, then I encourage you to engage with WSU Tech on this program.”

As the program gets off the ground, Parasker is already eager to see offerings expand to meet more of the region’s demands, she said. 

“I sit on the Kansas State Workforce board. There is such a great opportunity for the state of Kansas — and Missouri too — to look at and maximize what we can bring [online] in the current economy,” Parasker said, noting that if the state takes a hard look at what it can do to better equip its workforce, the better its odds are of attracting attention from east and west coast-based companies looking to expand and hire remotely. 

“There is so much more potential for partnerships like this to happen. We couldn’t have been successful without Wichita State University and Groover Labs. The intent of a few people will be the cause of change in many people’s jobs, careers and even lives.”

Click here to read more about Wichita’s emerging startup community.

This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.

For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn