Appuri raises another $2M to help companies assess and predict customer behavior

Nat Levy | GeekWire | 21 March 2017

“It’s been a busy start to 2017 for Appuri.

The Seattle-based startup just landed $2 million in funding from existing investors Divergent Ventures, Vulcan Capital, Baseline and TDF Ventures to help companies keep customers invested in their services.

Appuri will use the cash infusion to expand its sales, marketing, product and success teams.

Apprui, which launched in 2012 and graduated from the 9Mile Labs accelerator in 2013, collects customer usage data to predict when customers are dissatisfied with a service so companies can combat attrition. Appuri’s platform applies a “churn score” to various customers, indicating the likelihood that they may leave.

Read more here.

View Appuri’s job opening here.

 

New tech apprenticeship racks up 1,000 applicants, first two success stories

Katherine Long | The Seattle Times | 21 March 2017

“A new, federally funded apprenticeship program aimed at diversifying the tech workforce in Washington has drawn interest from more than 1,000 applicants in just a few months.

And two of its earliest participants have already started yearlong, paid apprenticeships.

The program, called Apprenti, is being run by an industry trade association, the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA). It’s funded in part by a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as with private money. It does not cost participants anything.

WTIA says it is the first registered tech apprenticeship program in the nation. It’s based on the idea that a short, intensive burst of training can be enough to lead a prospective employee to a midlevel, yearlong apprenticeship that can result in a permanent job at a technology company.

The trade association is working with Microsoft, Cisco, Code Fellows and other organizations to provide the training, then place the students in paid apprenticeships to further their training for another year.”

Read more here.

Learn more about the Apprenti program here.

 

IBM and Galvanize Launch New Cognitive Curriculum on IBM Cloud for Developers and Data Scientists

IBM Press Release | 20 March 2017

“Las Vegas – IBM InterConnect  – 20 Mar 2017: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Galvanize today are announcing new cognitive, cloud and data science training initiatives on IBM Cloud, which will aim to increase the talent pool of cognitive developers and data scientists. This partnership will work to bridge the emerging skills gap for professionals by tapping the accessibility of cloud to bring an advanced cognitive and data skills curriculum to a broad range of global developers and data scientists.

This extension of the IBM and Galvanize partnership consists of the new IBM Cognitive Course, delivered digitally through Bluemix, IBM’s cloud platform. The collaboration also provides physical spaces for training and education through the new Cognitive Builder Fair Initiative and the Cognitive Builder Space, both of which provide opportunities for hands-on learning and access to cognitive and data science experts.

The curriculum will be hosted on IBM Bluemix, which provides the foundation and services for a range of development environments, including the Watson Data Platform, the Watson Developer Cloud Platform and the IBM Data Science Experience. The first Cognitive Builder Space opens today at InterConnect, IBM’s annual cloud and cognitive conference, and features tutorials led by cognitive and data science experts.”

Read more here.

 

Amazon’s air force is hiring to fill aerospace jobs in Seattle

Andrew McIntosh | Puget Sound Business Journal | 15 March 2017

“Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Air wants to hire two veteran aerospace managers in Seattle to oversee airframe and aircraft engine maintenance programs for its contract air cargo carriers across the U.S.

Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) needs the managers to ensure that its partners, including Atlas Air Holdings (Nasdaq: AAWW) and Air Transport Services Group (Nasdaq: ATSG), comply with all Federal Administration Administration regulations and industry best practices.

Details of the job openings were posted on Amazon’s website (but not on Prime Air’s jobs website).

“I presume what Amazon wants is to have a quality control hand over things,” said David Harris, senior editor of Seattle-based Cargo Facts news website, which covers the global air cargo transport sector.”

Read more here.