“With UST Step IT Up, I learned more in a shorter span of time than I would have within a traditional college setting. With minimum hands-on tech experience, the program opened doors to a whole new realm of technologies, accelerating my dream to become a technologist in the area of my choice.”
Moses Jones’ story is where dreams take flight and passion ignites paths of career transformation, and inspires those like him to never give up on their dreams.
After nine years of serving his county in the Army, Moses bid farewell to his military family at Fort Bragg. With a bachelor’s degree in IT and Electrical Engineering from DeVry University, Moses was ready to embark on a new chapter of his life and chase his desire to work in the world of technology. The only thing standing in his way was the hand-on job experience required to break into the highly competitive technology industry.
When Moses came across the UST Step IT Up apprenticeship program on the Department of Labor’s website, he knew it was the key to unlocking his aspirations, fueling his drive, propelling him closer to his dream career, and opening new doors to endless possibilities in tech. The program taught Moses important skills like programming languages, as well as critical soft skills, such as giving presentations and working in highly collaborative, cross-team environments. Moses recognized the importance of developing these skills to be a successful technologist in any industry, and the apprenticeship gave him the ability to acquire this vast knowledge, quickly.
After six months of an accelerated five-days-a-week schedule, Moses graduated from UST Step IT Up and immediately landed a full-time position as a Junior Quality Assurance Engineer at Cox Enterprises where he writes code to create applications and databases and analyzes test data to ensure quality outcomes. While working at Cox, Moses is also pursuing his master’s degree in IT and robotics, and gives credit to the program in helping him define the specific technologies that ignite his dreams.
Moses’ journey demonstrates the power of dedication and the magic that unfolds when passion meets opportunity. Step IT Up paved the way for his dream career to take flight, and now the sky is the only limit for Moses as a technologist.
Learn more about Moses Jones’ experience as he shares his own story here.
Learn more about UST Xpanxion Step IT Up Apprenticeship Program and how to apply here.
Publish Date: 09/01/2023