NPower’s partner Comcast and the National Skills Coalition released a report in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta on what it means to close the digital skill divide.
Bertina Ceccarelli will be a panelist during SXSW EDU 2023 on behalf of Urban Alliance, Creating Unique Partnerships to Uplift Communities on March 7 at 2:30 p.m. CT.
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Throughout the year and especially during Women’s History Month, Comcast NBCUniversal is committed to highlighting and sharing the stories of women who are building a better, more equitable world. This month, we are proud to highlight Women Visionaries – generations of female trailblazers who have courageously changed the world through civil rights activism, entrepreneurship, community investment, entertainment, and more.
The NBA Foundation deepened its commitment to NPower earlier this month, with continued investment in efforts that drive economic opportunities and upward career mobility for the Black community. The latest round of funding released by the NBA Foundation coincided with Black History Month, and further highlights its partnership with NPower that fuels the launch of promising tech careers and pathways to prosperity for Black young adults.
In 2021, the NBA Foundation generously awarded NPower an inaugural grant in support of enrolling, training and increasing the number of Black young adults in technology careers, with emphasis on the NPower regions in NBA markets. That commitment paid off for so many NPower graduates who not only obtained the valuable training needed to begin a new career in tech but also helped them reach new levels of success they never thought possible before the program. Because of NPower’s recent expansion efforts and the NBA’s commitment to serving high-priority markets, the renewal includes the cities of Baltimore, Detroit, Brooklyn, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
Brandon Fullwood is a recent NPower graduate of the Tech Fundamentals program in Michigan and understands the power of investing in NPower and graduates like him. The husband and father needed to find a career to support his growing family. Brandon had an interest in IT and was referred by his cousin, an NPower alumnus. When considering the program, he and his wife decided it would be best to quit his job and take on the role of a stay-at-home dad while completing his NPower training. It was a short-term sacrifice he says was worth it ten times over. After graduation, he landed an apprenticeship at an automotive technology company, Aptiv, and is now expanding into cybersecurity for the tech company.
“My time at NPower was a life changing experience,” said Brandon. “If you give your all to this program, then there is no way they will let you fail but you have to take that step.”
Another NPower graduate who knows what it means to take that step is Joberto Casseus. Before NPower, Joberto was employed as a security guard at a school and attending community college full-time. While working as an intern on an IT help desk, he learned about the NPower Tech Fundamentals program in New Jersey. His time at NPower helped him sharpen his skills and transition into tech. Following graduation, he took a position as a technical sales representative at tech start up, Exteros.
“My experience at NPower
was amazing,” Joberto said. “From my instructors to the professional
development team and my job placement coach. I can tell that the NPower
staff is intentional about everything they do, including how we are taught and
the mindset they want us to have going into our professional roles.”
The continued funding opportunity from NBA Foundation allows NPower
to expand efforts to support Black young adults looking to start careers in
tech that ultimately lead to the end of generational poverty in the communities
it serves. It’s also giving graduates like Brandon and Joberto access to
career opportunities they never thought possible, and further solidifies all
that the NBA Foundation partnership with NPower is doing to create pathways to
family sustaining jobs for Black young adults.
“I am now in the corporate world which is
somewhere a person like me never thought could obtain without a degree,” said
Brandon. “I live more comfortably and spend more time with my wife and
kids.”
One of the business sectors that contribute to “our nation’s greatness” is technology. If not for the contributions of Black tech pioneers like Katherine Johnson, Phyllis Bolds, Annie Easley, and countless other Black change agents and innovators, this industry would not be one of America’s most prominent and profitable industries.
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.
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.
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.
St. Louis Community College has announced students enrolled in the technology training program, NPower Missouri, can now receive academic credit for their hands-on training and paid internships.
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How Karla found career inspiration after the birth of her child. The NPower Program provided Karla with the resources to pursue her career after she withdrew from higher education. With financial support from the Citi Foundation they are helping improve the economic future of women and their communities at large.
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In the initial months following the onset of the pandemic, Verisign made a commitment to invest in skill development in a rapidly changing professional and economic landscape. Mentorship was an important part of that commitment, and that’s what led the Verisign Cares team to partner with NPower in the NPowerMATCH program.
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Every morning, I remind myself that one of Command Shift’s most important commitments is to work with – not on behalf of – women of color from under-resourced areas and non-traditional backgrounds to help accomplish our central goal: Accelerating more women of color in tech sector and tech-enabled industries.
