Pyramid Business Systems Helps Oaklanders Find Tech Jobs

When Brittany started attending the Pyramid Business Systems Telecom Tech program at Laney College this fall, she saw an opportunity to build her skills and find a job in tech, a field she already had an interest in.

In partnership with the Oakland Private Industry Council (PIC), the Pyramid Business Systems Telecom Tech program enrolled 15 students in August – all minority Oakland residents – equipping them with the skills to install wiring for phone and internet service to homes and businesses.

The program provides soft skills training for job seekers, teaching them about computer systems, cabling and wiring, and how to manage the networks that transmit information across the Bay Area.

Telecom Tech is just one of several programs available to clients at PIC, where job training, support and ultimately job placement and success is the end goal.

The Telecom Tech program guides students on team building, goal setting, time management and other desirable skills that employers seek.

The program training funds are sponsored by the Oakland Workforce Investment Board’s (WIB) Dislocated Worker Additional Assistance Project (DWAAP).

“We help students navigate the process between landing a job and their job assessment,” said Jed Silver, president and CEO of Silver CDS, LLC and recruiter for the Telecom Tech program.

Taj Jones-Kobayashi does some cabling in an office building. Photo courtesy of Oakland PIC.

Twelve of the 15 students in the program were placed in jobs by the end of their training.

“We help employers get those individuals who have soft skills training. We attach actual employers to the program; that’s why it works,” said Silver.

Two influential figures in the industry are program instructor James Sullivan, who has worked at AT&T for over 30 years, and John Polk of Pyramid Business Systems, who has 42 years of experience in telecommunications.

Sullivan’s approach is hands-on – taking students to work sites where they put their newfound skills to use.

“There’s a wide range of opportunities for me to use my knowledge in cabling and networking to get jobs in lots of places, not just office buildings,” said Taj Jones-Kobayashi, a student who will start working at AT&T this month.

The Telecom Tech program will continue in January 2016. The program is looking to enroll students who are: at least 18 years old, unemployed or underemployed, have an interest in technology, and a willingness to learn. No previous experience necessary.

For more information, contact Jed Silver at (510) 214-5405 or jsilver@silvercds.com.