Celebrating Our Trailblazers: MACNY Apprenticeship Graduates

One of the most exciting collaborations that the digital services team within API has taken part in during the last few years is the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) Apprenticeship Program, which aims to provide alternative career pathways through hands-on training and education. We're thrilled to share the stories of two remarkable individuals within our team that recently graduated from this program: Nicole Broadnax and Egzona Imeri. 

Pioneering New Paths in Software Development 

Nicole Broadnax is the City of Syracuse’s first Registered Apprentice in the Software Developer trade and the first to achieve this under MACNY’s sponsorship. MACNY, a group sponsor for Advanced Manufacturing trades since 2017, recently expanded its scope to include Software Developer as a trade, amongst others. Nicole’s achievement stands out as a groundbreaking moment for the City and MACNY. 

Nicole’s journey into software development began with a passion for technology and a determination to turn that passion into a career. In high school, her interest in software development was sparked, but like many young students, she wasn’t initially sure how to translate it into a professional path. Her dedication to learning led her to explore various platforms where she taught herself different coding languages. These self-taught skills eventually earned her a position at the City of Syracuse, where she began working on projects that provided valuable insights into real-world software development. 

To further refine her skills, Nicole enrolled in Hack Upstate’s bootcamp program. Through this formal training, she built a portfolio showcasing her technical abilities and problem-solving capacity. The combination of formal and self-guided learning enabled Nicole to tackle meaningful projects during her apprenticeship, including the development of internal tools aimed at improving city services and managing innovative software solutions. Her work quickly became essential to the City's efforts to modernize its digital infrastructure. 

Throughout her apprenticeship program, Nicole gained invaluable hands-on experience and mentorship, complementing her formal education with practical knowledge. Nicole completed coursework in Project Management, Azure Cloud Fundamentals, ITIL, and Full Stack Development. This comprehensive training gave her the skills necessary to manage software projects from start to finish, ensuring each phase aligned with strategic goals and successful outcomes. 

Recently, Nicole achieved her journey Worker status by graduating from the Apprenticeship Program. With this milestone, she has transitioned into her role as Systems Analyst for the City of Syracuse’s Digital Team. Her new position allows her to apply the technical and leadership skills she developed during her apprenticeship to support and enhance the City’s digital services. We look forward to seeing how Nicole’s talent and dedication continue to impact the community. 

A New Leader in IT 

Egzona Imeri, for her part, is a graduate in the Information Technology field. Her interest in IT began with a desire for a career change. She had a fascination for computer programming which led her to explore various aspects of technology and culminated in her enrolling in Hack Upstate Coding Bootcamp

She learned about the apprenticeship through the Director of Digital Services and saw it as a perfect opportunity to gain practical skills while continuing her education. Throughout her apprenticeship, Egzona contributed to several critical projects, including Payroll Modernization and streamlining IT processes within city departments.  

Egzona graduated from the apprenticeship program alongside Nicole and is set to continue her professional journey with a solid foundation of gained knowledge and experience. Her story highlights the diverse opportunities available in the IT field and the importance of programs that blend classroom learning with real-world application. 

The Impact of the MACNY Apprenticeship Program

The success of Nicole and Egzona demonstrates the effectiveness of the MACNY Apprenticeship Program. This program bridges the gap between education and employment, providing apprentices with the skills and experience they need to succeed in today’s competitive job market. It also opens alternative routes to professional success, particularly for those who may not follow traditional educational paths. 

Apprentices are guided by experienced professionals who offer insights and advice which are invaluable for career growth. They also gain hands-on experience in their chosen fields, making them job-ready upon graduation.  

For example, Egzona gained expertise in front-end and back-end software development, database analysis, system analysis, and project management skills such as proper documentation and product implementation. These skills were use on the City’s payroll modernization project and AIMS code enforcement project.  

Nicole, meanwhile, completed coursework in Project Management, Azure Cloud Fundamentals, ITIL, and Full Stack Development. This comprehensive training gave her the skills necessary to manage software projects from start to finish, ensuring each phase aligned with strategic goals and successful outcomes. She gained invaluable hands-on experience and mentorship, complementing her formal education with practical knowledge. 

Both were equipped with the necessary skills and supports to be effective in managing and developing the City’s growing digital toolkit. We are glad to have these skillsets onboard looking ahead.  

Looking Forward 

Nicole and Egzona were honored for their graduation at a ceremony in June. As we celebrate them for their achievements, we also look forward to welcoming more apprentices into our program.  

Within API’s digital services team, we're committed to fostering an environment where innovation and education go hand in hand. Innovation is predicated on new ideas and/or seeing things in different way. Developing our internal talent through skill-building programs encourages us to revisit our current processes and imagine new solutions – but it also enhances our ability to implement these new solutions. The MACNY Apprenticeship program has demonstrated its value to our team by facilitating this knowledge and skill development process in the context of real City projects.   

We're excited about our team members’ accomplishments and look forward to their contributions to the City’s digital portfolio. We anticipate sharing many more success stories as we continue to support and grow our apprenticeship program.