NEW RESEARCH FROM NPOWER AND LIGHTCAST REVEALS THE TALENT POOL OF WOMEN OF COLOR WITH TECH-SIMILAR SKILLS IS INCREASING FASTER THAN THEIR SHARE OF TECH JOBS
From Trailer Park to App Development – NPower Michigan success story from alum Dezmond Blair
From Trailer Park to App Development | NPower Michigan Alum Dezmond Blair | Detroit Free Press
Carol Cain of the Detroit Free Press interviewed Dezmond Blair, Fall 2022 alum from NPower Michigan, about his journey from growing up in a trailer park and getting his first computer at age 12 by building it from spare parts to graduating from the Tech Fundamentals program at age 21 and getting into the Apple Developer Academy.
Growing up was definitely not easy as both his parents had him very young as high school dropouts. They both worked very hard to raise Dezmond and his brother, but they bounced around a few mobile home parks along the way.
““I struggled with my own identity a long time. I never really knew what I’d like to do growing up and even teachers told me to ‘be realistic’ when I talked about my future.”
He knew he wanted to pursue a degree, but he couldn’t afford his bachelor’s. So after getting an associate’s in computer programming, Dezmond found NPower to supplement his training. Through the Tech Fundamentals program, he not only completed 3 CompTIA Certifications, but he also completed Google Project Management Certificate and practiced app coding. In fact, one of the projects Dezmond had developed is an app that helps Alzheimer’s patients remember their families by mimicking TikTok’s scrolling UI and pairing pictures and videos of loved ones with names and music that can trigger memories. So naturally, his next step was entering the Apple Developer Academy and a month-long iOS bootcamp so he can further develop his burgeoning portfolio of work.
“What I love about NPower is that it’s great for connecting with others. NPower is the only reason that I got into the Apple Developer Academy, especially as the recruiter was also an NPower alum! I’m looking forward to hopefully working at Apple as I go through the academy and bootcamp.”
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Advancing Workplace Equity – Amplify | Cutter Magazine Feature
Viola Maxwell-Thompson, Command Shift Steering Committee Member and guest editor of this issue of Amplify provides global perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); cutting-edge research that shows the reality of equity in many companies; and best practices that companies have deployed to create a more equitable on-ramp as well as advancement opportunities for all employees, with a focus on women of color.
Continue readingThe Command Center: Women of Color in Tech Day Edition, featuring voices from The Command Shift Alumni Council
Elevated Voices: Real Conversations – Celebrating Women of Color in Tech Day
National Skills Coalition Report: We Must Close the Digital Skill Divide
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 Featured Panelist for Urban Alliance’s Session at SXSW EDU 2023
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.
Continue readingComcast NBCUniversal Celebrates Women Visionaries for Women’s History Month
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.
NPower Receives Second Grant From the NBA Foundation: How the partnership is changing the lives of Black young adults
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.”
Honoring Black History by Honoring Opportunity
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.
NPower Michigan Gets $250K Grant from Rocket Community Fund
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.
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.
“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.
