WorkSource Montgomery’s Community Workforce Network (CWN) initiative focuses on fostering an ecosystem of collaboration and support among local businesses, community-based organizations (CBOs), and MoCo residents. Its emphasis is on apprenticeships, employment training, and business support. To date, our CWN is comprised of over 100 organizations across Montgomery County!
One of our amazing CWN partners, Washington Software, Inc. (WSI), helps aspiring IT professionals embark on an inspiring journey into the realms of software development and cybersecurity through their Washington Bridge Program (WBP). This program also focuses on developing participants’ technical prowess and essential soft skills.
Recently, 11 jobseekers aka “Bridgers” to successfully completed the program! To date, 8 of the 11 program participants have been placed in great jobs around the county. Most of the Bridgers landed steady jobs within 4 months of starting the program.
Michael Chung, the President of WSI and the creator of the WBP, noted, “The program’s goal is to get people ready for jobs. Technology comes and goes but the theory behind it, the skill to learn new technologies, and the elements of professionalism stay with students for life.”
The program is typically 3-6 months and offered twice a year. The culmination of the Bridgers’ training is a program participant-driven project showcasing their real-world application development expertise using Microsoft Power Apps.
Our recent cohort of “Bridgers” worked with client Wenda Harbour, WorkSource Montgomery’s Director of Administrative Services, to build the WorkSource Onboarding Application — a solution to check jobseekers into WSM’s network.
From gathering requirements and crafting the intricacies of UI design to navigating the logic flow and managing internal data storage requirements, the project exemplifies the Bridgers holistic understanding of the software development process. Creating, testing, and launching the app took about 4 months. Participants not only acquired technical proficiency but also cultivated teamwork, client engagement, scheduling, budget development, and comprehensive application-building skills. It’s a testament to their resilience and determination in carving out a promising path in the tech landscape.
Moe Diakite, one of the Bridgers wrote the technical manual for the app. In reflecting on the real-world, client engagement experience, he stated, “Anybody can code, but it takes practice, a good team, and a plan to build software that people want to use. That’s the difference between the Washington Bridge Program and school or an IT bootcamp.”
Join us in congratulating the team’s achievements and the promising future that lies ahead!
To learn more about the Washington Bridge Program, please contact Susan Dawkins, Business Development Manager, Washington Software, Inc. at sdawkins@wasoftware.com. They are always interested in partnering with local companies that are seeking trained software development professionals or that want efficient training programs for their software and Cybersecurity teams.