NPower Michigan Gets $250K Grant from Rocket Community Fund

NPower Michigan Fall 2022 Graduation

The leading free tech training nonprofit, NPower Michigan, has announced it received a $250,000 2-Year grant from Rocket Community Fund that will provide free tech training to young adults and veterans from under-resourced communities in and around Detroit.

The grant from the Rocket Community Fund will support two NPower Michigan programs: the free, flagship NPower Tech Fundamentals job training program and a new Community Help Desk to assist Detroiters with digital literacy and access. 

Myka Burley, Program Manager of Rocket Community Fund, has announced the news of the $250k grant at the Fall 2022 Tech Fundamentals Graduation Ceremony

Laura Grannemann, Executive Director of the Rocket Community Fund, said NPower Michigan was given the grant because of the nonprofit’s steadfast leadership and consistent track record of supporting veterans and young adults.

“Digital connectivity is a critical part of today’s world,” said Grannemann. “Too many Michigan residents are caught in the digital divide, excluding them from opportunities for education, employment, and community. Every family deserves access to the internet and digital resources, and this grant to NPower Michigan is an important step towards that goal.” 

The Rocket Community Fund has invested $2.8 million in partnerships to support Connect 313, an effort aimed at closing the digital divide in Detroit. NPower Michigan is actively involved with Connect 313, with representatives serving as Vice Chairs and members of the group’s community-led committees.

Under the grant, NPower Michigan will provide technical skills training, professional development, and job placement to veterans from under-resourced communities, their spouses and young adult Detroiters. The nonprofit has run the program in Detroit since 2020.

José Reyes, Executive Director of NPower Michigan, said the Detroit region is full of IT and tech jobs that are going unfilled because of the lack of digital access.

Jose Reyes, Executive Director of NPower Michigan

“IT occupations grew by 12 percent and are expected to grow by another 4 percent this year,” said Reyes. “We are in a unique position as an alternative pathway for young people to enter the tech job market. And with over 50,000 tech jobs in Detroit as of 2022 according to CompTIA, we at NPower are more than capable of training Detroit youth for future success in the tech world to fill those jobs.”

The Detroit Regional Chamber reported in their State of Education that, in Detroit, 53 percent of high school grads are deferring enrollment in postsecondary education. Consequently, this is leading to an ever-widening talent gap.

Trainees that graduate from NPower Michigan report an average starting salary of $36,164, representing a 234 percent increase over pre-program income.

Community Helpdesk

NPower Michigan is collaborating with Human-I-T on the design and implementation of a Community Help Desk and Hotline for Detroit residents having difficulty connecting with the digital community. The goal of the Community Helpdesk is to address the digital divide throughout Detroit and ensure that all residents have the digital expertise needed to access the internet with their devices. NPower alumni will support the program as Helpdesk Agents, utilizing their training with hands-on applications and problem solving.

A portion of the Rocket Community Fund will provide the training and free community digital support to residents throughout Detroit.


Read more: https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/news/npower-michigan-receives-250-000-2-year-grant-from-the-rocket-community-fund-to-provide-free-tech-training-to-veterans-and-young-adults#ixzz7sqOi2oxv

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NPower Takes Part in White House Event to Mark the End of the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint

NPower Texas Executive Director, Jonathan Pride, joined Department of Labor Deputy Secretary, Julie Su, and other key senior White House and Agency officials to mark the end of the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint at the White House.

November 15, 2002 (Washington, D.C.):  NPower Texas Executive Director, Jonathan Pride, attended an event at the White House Tuesday to represent NPower in marking the end of the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint.  The event was part of National Apprenticeship Week and the celebration of the 85th Anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Act. There were remarks from senior White House and agency officials on the importance of Registered Apprenticeship in building a skilled and diverse cybersecurity workforce and the accomplishments of the Sprint. Jonathan participated in a moderated panel discussion highlighting the progress and advantages of building cybersecurity talent using Registered Apprenticeship programs.  The event concluded with a signing ceremony, all to demonstrate the overwhelming potential and success in promoting Registered Apprenticeships. 

As the demand for cybersecurity workers grows to meet the threats to our economy and infrastructure, the President of the United States is committed to seeing a more inclusive, robust, and skilled workforce to protect our personal and national interests. On July 19th at the National Cyber Workforce and Education Summit, the Administration gathered Cabinet Secretaries and major companies, including NPower, to discuss ways to improve pathways into this critical sector, and announced the start of its Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint. Tuesday marked the finish line of the Sprint, an initiative run by the U.S. Department of Labor in coordination with the White House Office of the National Cyber Director, Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, Defense, and other federal agencies.

According to CyberSeek.org, the cybersecurity market grew at 2.4 times the rates of the rest of the job market in the last year. This leaves nearly 770,000 open cybersecurity positions at all career levels. The nation’s economic and national security is dependent on solving this workforce challenge and employers are turning to Registered Apprenticeships to meet this critical workforce need.