MassMutual IT Academy taps talent from STCC
Interns and new hires from the IT Academy program are (seated from left): Bryan Bristol of Springfield, Simon Tsyanenko of Chicopee, Amber Makowski of Holyoke and Nick Blaisdell of Ware. Standing are IT learning and performance consultants Danielle Lessard and Shane Robitaille.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – MassMutual is partnering with Springfield Technical Community College to recruit talent.
Representatives of the financial products company recently visited the campus to speak with Computer Information Technology students about MassMutual’s IT Academy, a summer internship program designed to expose students to a variety of careers in the Information Technology (IT) field.
MassMutual first contacted STCC last year to seek interns for the 2016 summer program. Representatives now are looking to fill positions for summer 2017.
IT Academy is one of the largest internship programs of its kind in the state, said Shane Robitaille, an IT Learning & Performance Consultant.
“The purpose is to recruit, develop and hire diverse, top-tier talent,” Robitaille told about 30 STCC students on Jan. 30, including a panel of four current and former students who participated in IT Academy last summer. “We’re bringing in talent right from STCC.”
Robitaille said the internship program also prepares individuals for careers upon graduation. Many of the successful interns end up with any number of IT-related jobs at MassMutual, he said.
We’re bringing in talent right from STCC.Shane Robitaille, IT Learning & Performance Consultant at MassMutual
“It’s about finding the best talent,” said Danielle Lessard, an IT Academy graduate who now works for MassMutual as an IT learning and performance consultant.
The program started in 2000 with a few interns and has grown quickly into a robust, first-career talent pipeline with 100 full-time summer interns, half of which work part-time year-round.
STCC graduate Simon Tsyanenko of Chicopee was hired full time after starting in the program. “We’re doing all kinds of cool stuff. What I really like about my job is it never gets boring,” he said.
Tsyanenko credited the education he received from STCC with preparing him for a job at MassMutual.
“You guys are getting a lot of knowledge here from the teachers you have,” Tsyanenko told the group of STCC students.
Brian Candido, professor and program chair for STCC’s Computer Information Technologies program, said the curriculum is designed to give students “real world experiences.”
“Inherent to the curriculum is combining real world experiences and examples with Information Technology principles so the students can have a solid foundation when they graduate and start working in the IT field,” Candido said. “In the Computer Information Technologies Department, students can take classes in the high demand areas of programming, operating systems, networking, Computer Security topics, Database systems and mobile apps development.”
The nine-week program provides interns an opportunity to receive mentoring, professional development and an opportunity to work on collaborative team projects. Robitaille said full-time interns will learn about a variety of careers, both technical and non-technical, needed for the digital world.
“As the demand continues for workers in the technology industry, MassMutual’s IT Academy is an increasingly important part of our overall commitment to developing talent in the Pioneer Valley,” said Anne-Marie Szmyt, MassMutual’s Vice President of IT Strategy and Planning. “We believe that these types of educational opportunities will serve to expand the pipeline of resources in the rapidly growing IT and data science space.”
The Computer Information Technologies Department offers two-year degree programs in Computer and IT Security and Programming. Either program would be an ideal pathway to an internship at the IT Academy, Candido said.
To apply online, visit www.stcc.edu/apply. For more information, call STCC Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of Western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC, an Achieving the Dream Leader College, offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical options for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of more than 8,500 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.
For more information about STCC, visit www.stcc.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@S_T_C_C).
Media Contact:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu