Professional Development & Supportive Services
Holistic services to help candidates both excel in our program and prepare for the workforce
Professional Development
Innovate Birmingham is committed to preparing participants for employment. Our development curriculum combines the expertise of industry leaders, local employers, and Innovate Birmingham staff. In addition to integrating professional development expectations into our curricula, each week participants focus on a highlighted professional development topic. These sessions are led by Innovate Birmingham staff, human resources professionals and employer partners who provide insight on industry-demanded skills and mindsets.
- Resume building and interviewing best practices
- Professional dress and presentation
- Responsibility and time-management
- Growth mindset and personal branding
- Leadership assessments and coaching
- Teamwork and project management skills
Supportive Services
Recognizing that participants may require supportive services to achieve success during training and throughout the transition into employment, Innovate Birmingham has a full-time Senior Case Manager who provides holistic case management. At the start of the program, participants complete an intake assessment to identify potential barriers. Our Senior Case Manager works with each student to develop a Student Directed Learning Plan (SDLP) to address these barriers.
- Mentoring
- Childcare
- Utility or housing payment assistance
- Transportation assistance
- Mental health service coordination
Hear from our graduates!
"Innovate Birmingham (IB) has had a transformative impact on my life. My wife and I found out we were having our firstborn the Saturday before I started the program in January 2019. With the skills gained from the instructor in the Software Development program at that time, and the valuable personal development, including things like resume building and interview preparation from Carlton Lewis, I was able to find employment and entered the tech space the Monday following graduation. IB allowed me the abilities to find a career in a field I enjoy, and for my wife and I to start a family without worry. IB’s program is full-time (Monday-Friday) with additional time spent learning in the evenings and on weekends. The supportive services of IB were a key factor in what allowed me to finish the program. With the help of Brandie McGee-McMillian, the Senior Case Manager of Supportive Services, I was able to get assistance with housing costs while in the program, which allowed me to focus more on my training and skill development"
"Innovate Birmingham positively impacted my life in that it allowed me the opportunity to learn how to become a Web Developer. Acquiring these skills was significant to me because my late brother, who was a Senior Level Developer, was very excited about the field and expressed often how well he thought I’d do if I got into it too. The 14-week, full-time coding bootcamp was intense and coupled with grieving it was really tough, but Supportive Services helped take some of the edge off to allow me to focus on my class work. The financial assistance I received from Supportive Services for my utilities and rent was major in that they helped me keep from worrying about how certain expenses would be covered during my time in the bootcamp. Additionally, being able to check in periodically with Brandie to talk about how things were going was equally as valuable as she understood what I was going through. I don’t believe I could have made it through the bootcamp without the financial and emotional support provided by Supportive Services. I’m eternally grateful for this program."
