Jobs in the field of information technology (IT) are plentiful. And they’re good jobs – promising family-sustaining wages and upwardly mobile career paths. Yet the IT industry struggles to fill these vacancies. Why? Because of a lack of qualified applicants. To help close this IT skills gap for those lacking opportunity, we launched a free education, training and career placement program called IT-Ready. Our program, supported by a network of non-profit collaborators, gives people the knowledge and skills they need for a successful IT career, then connects them to an on-the-job experience opportunity. We not only focus on the "hard" technical skills, but on the "soft" professional skills that employers look for in job candidates.