MACC Builds College Connections to
Attract
IT Professionals
(BLAIR, NE - Wednesday, May 30, 2007) - When it comes to recruiting
information technology workers, in today’s job market, employers can’t
afford to have a “build it and they will come” mentality. Instead, they
need to build strong relationships with educational institutions to find
and hire the best employees the area has to offer.
This is the approach taken by Mid America Computer Corporation (MACC).
This Blair-based company provides billing software and fulfillment
solutions to telecom companies across the country. To do this, MACC
employs more than 50 full-time computer programmers and the company is
almost always looking for qualified candidates. To make this search
easier, MACC has established a connection with Southeast Community
College (SCC) in Milford, Nebraska, which offers students the
opportunity to earn an Associate’s Degree in Computer Programming
through an intensive, 18 month program.
JoAnn Hilgenkamp, one of MACC’s programming managers, participates in a
panel which advises the college on curriculum needs. MACC also hosts
open houses where students can see how the lessons they learn in the
classroom relate to the working world.
“I became involved with the college because I needed skilled graduates,”
she said. “The job market for technology workers is tight right now so
this is an important program for MACC.”
Hilgenkamp said MACC’s connection with SCC has been beneficial for all
of the parties involved. The company has hired nine, well-trained SCC
graduates in the last few years, the graduates have started jobs with
competitive salaries, and the college receives the benefit of MACC’s
active support and involvement.
“SCC’s faculty has been very receptive to the feedback we’ve given to
students,” she said. “Their program has produced wonderful people with
great work ethics. As many are from smaller communities, they are a
great fit at MACC.”
The partnership between the company and the college began four years ago
after Hilgenkamp received a resume from a SCC graduate. To learn more
about the prospective student, she contacted the college. Hilgenkamp
found SCC’s Computer Programming Department Chair, Beth Stutzman to be
very cooperative and accepted an invitation to watch a class of students
give their final presentations. From there, the relationship between SCC
and MACC blossomed as Hilgenkamp accepted the position on the college’s
curriculum advisory council.
Stutzman said the partnership with MACC and other companies allows the
college to maintain a curriculum that meets the needs of the information
technology industry in the Midwest. She said putting the recommendations
of the advisory council to use is important for information technology
education as the industry’s job outlook can vary widely over the course
of just a few years.
For example, Stutzman explained there was a glut of information
technology workers after Y2K occurred without the forecasted computer
crisis. She said the job market rebounded several years later until the
trend of off-shoring IT work to countries, such as India, again created
disheartening outlooks for information technology professionals.
Recently, Stutzman said the job market has swung back in favor of IT
workers. She said companies are coming to the realization that
off-shoring is not creating the planned cost reductions due to
logistical and cultural difficulties.
Stutzman said using the advisory council’s advice is one way SCC helps
provide skills to its students to make them as employable as possible.
One example is the college’s continued instruction on programming for
mainframe computers. This type of instruction is becoming less common at
other educational institutions. She said this decision was based in part
on recommendations from Hilgenkamp and other members of the advisory
council.
“We teach mainframe programming because many programmers are retiring
from this field and those in the industry are telling us there will be a
need to replace these workers,” Stutzman said.
Besides the advice Hilgenkamp offers on curriculum, Stutzman said the
open houses held by MACC are also very useful as they provide students a
glimpse of what it takes to make it as a programmer.
“The public doesn’t have a good idea what it is to be a computer
programmer. Students entering the program often just see the salaries,
which typically start in the $35,000 to $40,000 range,” she said. “They
don’t realize everything that goes into being a good programmer.”
Stutzman said good organizational skills, good problem-solving skills,
and a dedication to deadlines are all needed to succeed. She said when
students hear this same message from former students, who are now MACC
employees, they are much more receptive.
Stutzman said the open houses that MACC hosts are also valuable because
they allow students to see the end result of programmers’ work. In the
case of MACC, it’s witnessing the printing of thousands of telephone
bills, which would not have occurred without the work of the company’s
programmers.
Two of those programmers who play roles in helping MACC succeed are
Barbara Hegarty and John Maschman. Hegarty, who has been with MACC since
2003, was the first SCC graduate that Hilgenkamp hired. Hegarty grew up
in the Lincoln-area and had not heard of MACC until she learned about
the company through SCC’s job placement office.
At MACC, Hegarty said she has found a work environment which is very
supportive, yet allows her to take on challenging projects. Currently,
Hegarty is working on MACC’s Customer Master, which is a customer care
and billing program used by more than 300 telephone companies.
Maschman, a Fairbury-native, began at MACC last year and also works on
the Customer Master program. Like Hegarty, he had not heard of MACC and
said it is unlikely he would have found a job there without the
company’s connection to SCC. Like many of his classmates, Maschman had
other opportunities, but during an open house at MACC, he said he sensed
the supportive environment he was looking for in an employer.
“I met the team I’d work with if I accepted a job at MACC,” he said.
“Everyone made me feel right at home.”
About Mid America Computer Corp. Mid America Computer Corp. (MACC) is a
billing solutions company that offers a variety of services and front
office software to providers of telephone, cable television, Internet
and wireless service. From data processing to bill rendering and
fulfillment, MACC offers clients "best of breed" billing solutions to
face the future.
