A job at General Dynamics Information Technology has always been highly sought after, but for years many prospective applicants simply didn’t qualify because they lacked a top-secret security clearance. Now, that is changing with the company launching a new initiative to broaden its talent pool.
“It’s very competitive recruiting top talent,” says Michele Randall, a talent network specialist with General Dynamics IT. “The skills gap is certainly impacting the IT industry, so when we exclude people who lack a clearance, the number of qualified candidates dwindles.”
A top provider of IT services, systems engineering, and professional services to the federal government, the company’s new recruitment strategy involves expanding its customer base to include more commercial clients. New employees can then work with those customers until they’ve applied for and received a security clearance.
[Tweet “General Dynamics IT is now targeting select colleges and universities to connect with recent grads”]
General Dynamics IT is now targeting select colleges and universities to connect with recent and upcoming graduates, and ECPI University was one of the first schools its recruiters contacted. Ms. Randall made her first trip to the Richmond/Innsbrook campus in the fall and plans to return soon.
“Our goal is to build a community of talented individuals with IT service desk and software development knowledge,” says Randall. “ECPI University has a very good reputation in the IT industry,” says Randall. “We wanted to start at ECPI because its graduates have a specific set of skills that align very well with the jobs we are trying to fill. There’s nothing wrong with theory but we need people who can do the job on day one with little or no training.”
Randall says General Dynamics IT is especially impressed with ECPI University’s certification program. Exams for professional certifications typically cost several hundred dollars which is why ECPI University provides its students with vouchers, allowing them to take up to five exams for just $15 each. Upon graduation, they receive five more vouchers for just five dollars more.
Richmond/Innsbrook Campus Director of Career Services Sara Stone is now working with directors at other ECPI University campuses to further expand General Dynamics IT talent community.
“We are so pleased to be a part of this initiative,” says Stone. “ECPI University has built its reputation by preparing job-ready graduates and having a highly-respected company like General Dynamics IT look to us as a partner says a lot about what we are doing.”
To learn more about General Dynamics Information Technology’s Talent Community Initiative, contact Michele Randall at Michele.Randall@GDIT.com.
Be the first to comment on "General Dynamics Targets ECPI University Graduates"