Systems in Motion isn't wasting any time breaking into the Ann Arbor-area market.

The newest darling of the Silicon Valley IT start-up world chose Ann Arbor to make its first major investment earlier this fall. Today it will hold an information session about its Entry Level Training Program for the IT industry at Ann Arbor SPARK's East Business Incubator in downtown Ypsilanti, 215 W. Michigan Ave.

The program is working with Michigan Works! to help people who have been laid off, are about to lose their jobs or in households making $40,000 a year or less to get a foot in the door in the growing IT industry. The training sessions will be held from November through January and they come with a good likelihood of future employment.

"They're basically recruiting with the understanding that the people going through the training will more than likely be hired," says Elizabeth Parkinson, vice president of marketing and communications with Ann Arbor SPARK.

Systems in Motion is investing $15 million over the next five years to create a new IT support center in Ann Arbor. The IT firm expects to create 1,084 jobs with the investment. It is also evaluating investing in other marquee college towns, such as Austin, Texas and Durham, North Carolina.

The California-based firm is only 3 months old but has already been able to lock down some venture capital funding and hire 20 people. Systems in Motion plans to create the next generation of IT infrastructure and workers by setting up IT support center at college towns across North America. The combination of the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College made the Ann Arbor area a prime target for Systems in Motion.

For information on the IT information session, call (734) 484-7247 or send an email to amy@annarborusa.org.

Source: Elizabeth Parkinson, vice president of marketing and communications with Ann Arbor SPARK
Writer: Jon Zemke