Abstract : Despite a robust recent U.S. job market, new IT graduates tend to be long on theoretical knowledge yet very short on practical mastery of actual skills and knowledge needed to meet typical IT job requirements. Thus, graduates are increasingly facing the problem of either being unable to secure full-time IT employment at all—or, if they do land a first job, it is merely a low-paying entry-level position. Typically, such newly minted graduates become frustrated and switch jobs within six to 12 months to secure a higher salary. This, in turn, causes the initial employer to lose money and time, essentially having to start all over with a new entry-level hiree. Consequently, companies are increasingly refusing to hire entry-level graduates and instead are requiring significant industry experience. Accordingly, this chapter presents an innovative solution for students, universities, and technical schools alike: a unique educational model that actually provides students with sufficient practical mastery to qualify them for mid-level IT positions immediately following graduation. As the illustration below shows, and as any corporate hiring manager will readily admit, a successful IT job applicant needs to exude competence in a full range of areas in order to maximize the chances of securing a mid-level, higher-paying position. Therefore, it only makes logical sense for the educational institutions to explicitly address all of the same knowledge and skill sets as an intrinsic part of the educational experience. In fact, there is an educational institution that has been successfully applying this innovative practical skills mastery model over the last 15 years for IT education. PeopleNTech has placed virtually all of its students in “first jobs” at mid-level and senior-level IT positions which ordinarily require years of industry experience in order to secure.