NPower’s VP of Program Strategy, Kim Mitchell spoke with Black Engineer magazine about how we are advancing women of color from nontraditional backgrounds to tech careers.
How to Boost Jobs for Women of Color through Nontraditional Pathways
5 tips for retaining diverse hires
NPower graduate Carolina and CIO of Bank of America, David Reilly spoke with CIO.com about diversifying the tech workforce beyond just setting a hiring strategy. You have to overhaul your culture to ensure new hires feel welcome and can thrive.
Cognizant Grant Helps NPower Texas Launch Careers in Technology for Veterans
NPower has received a $250,000 grant from the Cognizant U.S. Foundation that will help more than 100 veterans and military spouses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Continue readingInterns are the next wave of IT workers — here’s how to better manage them
NPower’s CEO speaks with CIO Dive about how skill-building programs build a more diverse talent pipeline?
Prepping Your Organization for Non-Traditional Tech Talent
Insights from the From Day One January 2021 Conference
Continue readingThe federal government’s blind spot for recruiting tech professionals leaves behind thousands of qualified young talent
View our CEO Bertina Ceccarelli’s response to New America’s article published in Slate Magazine that advocates that a commitment to diversity in the tech workforce must also include tech-skilled people of color from non-traditional backgrounds to fill the growing number of available positions.
Continue readingPaving the Path to Stability – Together
United Way Greater St. Louis shares the importance of mentorship and how their support is changing lives.
Continue readingAn IT Talent Pipeline Emerges in Candidates Without College Degrees
CIO Dive speaks with NPower CEO Bertina Ceccarelli and other experts on critical pathways for non-degreed tech talent.
Continue readingThe Mentoring Effect
NPowerMATCH Mentor Spotlight
Meet Ebony Gladney—NPower graduate and IT Help Center Specialist at Loyola University Maryland
Ebony is an NPower Maryland graduate and IT Help Center Specialist at Loyola University Maryland. Ebony overcame significant challenges on her journey to a career in tech, facing unemployment and struggling to obtain IT certifications on her own. “NPower made me a true believer that, through patience and persistence, dreams do come true.” Now, as an NPowerMATCH mentor, she encourages trainees that they can successfully launch a career in tech and achieve their dreams just as she has with support and hard work.
What motivated you to become an NPowerMATCH Mentor?
I believe that everyone needs a mentor no matter what stage of their career they are in. Being a mentor is more than just a title for me. It is an opportunity to share my experiences with my mentee about the different lessons that I have learned throughout my career such as: setting and achieving goals, workplace etiquette, and dealing with rejection from job opportunities.
What advice would you provide to alumni considering “paying it forward” through mentoring?
Don’t consider the decision for too long, because if it is something that you’re interested in—just do it. Generally, I am not impulsive when it comes to decision making but deciding to become a mentor was an exception to the rule. There are so many young people who are unsure about the skills needed to progress in their careers or in life in general, but with a mentor they’ll be directed to the path of success.
What have you discovered is an unexpected reward of being a mentor?
Knowing that my mentee has someone who they can depend on whether it’s for professional or personal advice is a great reward. I am given the opportunity to impact a future tech professional, but the ultimate reward will be seeing my mentee become successful and passing along the knowledge that I shared with someone else.
The pandemic has changed the way we work and interact professionally. What has mentoring during the pandemic been like for you?
Although mentoring during the pandemic has been very different than a normal in-person mentor/mentee relationship, I have been able to adjust. I enjoy interacting with another young professional in the field of technology, and I look forward to the weekly lessons because it not only allows me to learn more about my mentee but also about myself.
Who has been a mentor that has inspired you?
Throughout my career journey, I have had two friends that have mentored and inspired me—Mrs. Shirley Mohammadi, Instructional Technology Manager at the University of Baltimore and Mr. James Mitchell Jr., Owner and CEO of Reasonable Tech Solutions in Towson, MD. Both individuals have given me various pieces of advice that have helped me develop into the professional that I am today. Shirley taught me how to handle difficult work situations because she understands the difficulties that women face in the technology field. James has inspired me by showing me what setting and achieving individualized goals should look like. When we met three years ago, he told me that he wanted to open his own Pearson Vue testing site and six months later it was up and running. It’s been a pleasure gaining knowledge and insights from them. I hope to share what they’ve taught me with my mentee and continue to inspire as I have been inspired.
Want to change lives through mentorship? Learn more and apply at npower.org/mentor to become a mentor for the next cycle.
#NationalMentorshipMonth
Mentoring Matters
I decided to pay it forward by mentoring because people benefit from the help of others. Many mentors have helped me find a path and by offering my own experience and listening to the experiences of a mentee, I can help them find one too.
—Graham from NPower New Jersey
