Ramero Jackson, an Urbandale resident, was unemployed and going through medical issues that precluded him from working. He had sought rental assistance and used a food bank.
He was looking for a new opportunity.
He linked up with Audrey Kennis, director of human services at the city of West Des Moines, and asked her about a data center training program he heard about.
“I said, ‘If you give me this opportunity, I will make you very proud,’” he said.
Jackson was among the 14 non-traditional students that finished the tuition-free Data Center Technician Program in December. The program, a partnership between Des Moines Area Community College, West Des Moines Human Services and Microsoft, trained students in technical and workplace readiness skills.
Organizers said they are in talks to offer the program again starting in the fall at DMACC’s West Des Moines campus.
Seventy percent of participants have achieved either an internship or employment with Microsoft or another contractor based on the new skill set, organizers said.
Jackson said he got a job in February at Milestone Technologies, an IT services company with an office in Altoona.
“My goal was just to learn something different,” he said. “I don’t have a college degree, and I just wanted to give myself a test, trying to just say, ‘You know what, you’re not the biggest school person in the room, but let’s see what we can do.’ And it just gave me motivation. I have a 12-year-old also, and just showing her that I sit there and do my homework on the weekends.”
The coursework included preparation for students to receive foundational certifications to help launch their career paths in the IT and data center industry: the CompTIA Tech+ Certification and CompTIA A+ Certification.
“CompTIA Tech+ is an entry-level, non-renewable certification designed for absolute beginners to validate foundational IT skills,” Curt Buhr, DMACC continuing education coordinator, wrote in an email. “It covers hardware, software, networking, security, and troubleshooting basics. It is ideal for career changers or those exploring IT roles, serving as a stepping stone to more advanced certifications like A+.”
The CompTIA A+ certification is an industry-standard credential for entry-level IT professionals, validating skills in troubleshooting, networking, hardware, and security, Buhr wrote.
“To become certified, you must pass two exams … which cover mobile devices, OS, cloud computing, and operational procedures,” he wrote. “It is essential for launching careers in help desk and technical support.”
The program’s coursework is rigorous, he said.
“These people covered over 150 hours of courses in a span of 15 weeks, on top of living their lives, going to work, doing all the things,” Buhr said. “There was a lot of homework, a lot of outside time.”
Buhr said graduates of the program landed jobs starting between $18 and $20 an hour with potential for them to advance.
Iowa has been a hub of data center growth, with 104 located in the state and 76 in the Des Moines area, according to Data Center Map, which maintains a database of data centers.
The jobs at data centers – and other tech positions – that the graduates of the program might inhabit include working a help desk, a network analyst, server administrator or security roles, Buhr said.
“So when you’re building the towers of servers, you might be going in and building those towers, connecting the servers, making sure they’re all powered appropriately,” he said.
Anne Power, executive academic dean at DMACC, recalled sitting in on one class and seeing a student wearing virtual reality goggles.
“They had to actually find the server that wasn’t working, pull it out and then put a different server in,” she said.
Microsoft staff members came to class and offered assistance, organizers said.
“We did mock interviews with Microsoft folks, but also some other companies that contract with Microsoft. … They were able to tell their story and talk to students and put the students through a realistic interview process, so when they got done with the course and they went out for their interview they weren’t shocked,” Buhr said.
Microsoft provided funding for the program, Power said.
“Graduates of the program are equipped with technical skills and contribute meaningfully to the West Des Moines community and beyond,” wrote Sara Hansen, senior community affairs manager for Iowa Datacenters, in an emailed statement.
The technician program took elements from the Microsoft Data Center Academy,which is located at DMACC’s West Des Moines campus.
The academy educates and trains professionals to staff, maintain and service data center computer networks throughout Central Iowa.
West Des Moines Human Services’ part of the partnership was selecting students and building community among them, Kennis said.
“I went through a very intensive process,” Kennis said. “We did interviews. You don’t just apply and get in, but we have to make sure it really is a good fit for individuals. So really trying to go through that vetting process and really pairing students with something that really works for their lives and their schedules, but really also their abilities.”
West Des Moines Human Services had nearly 70 applicants; 15 of whom were accepted and 14 who ultimately completed the program.
“I would say the majority have acquired positions in a data center environment, and so that’s big,” Kennis said. “This is life-changing for these students and this isn’t just about a job, and it’s just not about them, like you’re not just changing their lives, but the people around them and for generations hopefully to come.”