Bhanu Aery - Systems Specialist, Giesecke & Devrient
Bhanu Aery worked in Tech Support back home in India and had an MBA to his name as well. He chose to move to Canada because he saw greater opportunities here. However, things seemed very different when he landed here. He struggled with the cold and struggled to find a good job. Even though he lived in Vaughan, he found work only in Mississauga, where he worked a survival job in IT Support being paid minimum wage. So he set out on the long journey to work every single day. To make things worse, he had to rely solely on public transit, so the journey was long and tiresome. On most days he would be lucky to get more than 4 hours of sleep. However, Bhanu says he cherished the struggles.
Then he heard about Humber College's IT Infrastructure Bridging Program (formerly known as Mobile Systems Integration) from a friend. He was impressed by the courses and the exposure it would potentially provide him. So he signed up and the program greatly helped to equip him with knowledge in the latest software such as VMWare and Linux. Moreover he was moved into a live working environment where the learning was extremely hands-on, practical and industry relevant.
More than half of program graduates are working in full time IT positions since it launched three years ago. "By the time students have gone through the whole program curriculum, they have an impressive depth of knowledge," says Danish Khan, former Program Coordinator of the IT Infrastructure bridging program. "Graduates have secured jobs as network administrators, network analysts, technical support specialists, and business analysts. They are working for financial institutions, telecommunications and technology companies and in the public sector. I am very confident that we are helping build richer lives for our new citizens and helping the Canadian economy prosper with global talent."
Bhanu is living proof of this. Even before the end of the program, Bhanu secured a job with Giesecke and Devrient America Inc. as a Systems Specialist. The Canadian opportunities he dreamt of finally came to fruition.
Bhanu is a true success story. He wishes to inspire newcomers to achieve the same success he has.
His advice?
"Stick in there and don't complain. I was in your position too and I can tell you it gets better. See where you are now and figure out where you want to be. Break that journey down into smaller steps and you will surely get there."
The IT Infrastructure Bridging Program is made available through funding from the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada.
