Salesforce Unveils Indy Training Program

The announcement will take place at Salesforce Tower.

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Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), which in May said it would add 500 new local apprentices by 2020 in Indianapolis, is launching Salesforce Pathfinder Training in the city. The company says the program will give participants skills and business training they need to become administrators or developers in the Salesforce ecosystem, which it calls two of the hottest jobs in tech. Veterans, professionals looking to re-enter the work force and youth who are not working or in school will be eligible to apply for training. Salesforce plans to begin the program in May with 50 participants.

The company is partnering with Ivy Tech Community College and professional services organization Deloitte on the training. It will include a mix of online and in-person classes. Salesforce says the class that begins in May will be followed by another 50 students in September 2018, with the remaining 400 participants spread out through 2019 and 2020.

The online training will run through Trailhead, which is Salesforce’s free, gamified online learning platform. Deloitte will help lead training in soft skills, business acumen and effective communication. The company says the positions it is training for, developer and administrator, pay an average salary of more than $70,000 per year.

Marketing Cloud Chief Executive Officer Bob Stutz calls Indianapolis "a great place to kick start the Pathfinder Training program with its booming tech scene." Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett says residents need additional skills to compete in a 21st century work force, adding "Salesforce has recognized this gap and is investing in our community with education and skills development.

Salesforce first announced the training program at the grand opening celebration of the Salesforce Tower in downtown Indianapolis. That is in addition to the 800 new jobs the company announced in 2016 as part of its move to the former Chase Tower downtown.