Guardian Life Commits $1M to NPower to Advance Diversity in Tech and Increase Economic Opportunities for Underrepresented People

Grant will support NPower's programs that help bridge the digital skills gap through free training programs, mentoring, support services and more

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Guardian

Jan 12, 2021, 09:30 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian Life) announced a $1 million grant to NPower, a leading national nonprofit focused on helping military veterans and young adults from underserved communities increase their opportunities for economic mobility through technology careers.

With more than 8.6 million new tech jobs expected to emerge over the next decade, Guardian Life will propel NPower's mission to increase the representation and success of diverse, non-traditional talent in three booming industries – IT, cybersecurity, and cloud computing – through instructor-led training classes, professional development and internship and job placement assistance.

This financial investment from Guardian Life will expand their commitment to diversity in technology and support several NPower initiatives, including:

Advancing Women of Color in Technology: Guardian Life's commitments to gender and racial equity in tech will intersect in their support of NPower, where they will continue to fund efforts to advance one of the most underrepresented populations in technology: women of color. The investment, as a Lead Partner, will sustain NPower's proven program and develop new strategies to clear a path for women of color to enter and advance within the tech field.
Alumni Career Growth through Advanced Training: Guardian Life will serve as a Lead Sponsor for the new NPower collaborative dedicated to upskilling NPower graduates in the advanced fields of cybersecurity and cloud computing to enhance career growth opportunities.
Mentoring Opportunities: Guardian Life employees will also participate in NPower's new mentoring program, NPowerMATCH, which pairs professionals with NPower students for weekly guided discussions and virtual coaching sessions around career readiness, professional leadership skills, financial education, ethical self-promotion, and critical-thinking skills.

Each initiative will benefit from the participation and stewardship of Guardian Life executives who will strengthen the advocacy and engagement of these important efforts.

"Building a more diverse workforce must include expanding and advancing the professional experiences of underserved people of color, whose talents remain largely untapped. We see a new era of recruiting strategies where a greater focus is placed on skilled individuals from nontraditional pathways that might not include a four-year degree," said Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO of NPower. "Our partnership with Guardian Life, a company already committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and culture, takes us one step closer to achieving this goal."

This grant also expands Guardian Life's existing partnership with the NPower, as Dean Del Vecchio, Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Chief of Operations at Guardian Life, currently sits on NPower's Board of Directors. Since Guardian Life began working with NPower in June 2019, 53 colleagues have volunteered more than 200 hours to the NPower's programs, shared their technical expertise and provided job readiness support for diverse students to succeed in the digital economy. Another 30 colleagues are signed up to take part in the NPowerMATCH year-long mentorship program in this year.

This extended partnership and investment in NPower is reflective of Guardian Life's overall commitment toward empowering the next generation of talent and boosting inclusion and diversity within talent pipelines. Previously, Guardian Life has collaborated with Black Girls CODE to assist with capacity building to launch their Ambassador and Alumnae Program and provided skills-based mentors to volunteer in support of their vision to educate and empower girls and young women of color to pursue careers in STEM. Guardian Life has also provided financial, programmatic, and volunteer support for workforce development in partnership with New Women New Yorkers (NWNY), an organization that offers professional skills development for immigrant women in the city.

"As part of Guardian Life's overall commitment to Inclusion & Diversity, we collaborate with and fund nonprofit organizations that are fighting to provide better futures for the most vulnerable and underserved," said Dean Del Vecchio, Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Chief of Operations at Guardian Life. "We are proud to further invest in NPower with this grant to help elevate their mission to provide underserved young adults and veterans with the tools to excel in the digital economy."

About NPower

NPower is a national nonprofit on a mission to move people from poverty to the middle class by training young adults from underserved communities and veterans in a range of tech skills and placing them in quality jobs. Students who enter their free, six-month program, earn industry-recognized certifications and graduate with the competencies of an IT professional with one to two years of experience. NPower also places students in paid internships with corporate and nonprofit organizations. Eighty percent of NPower graduates get a full-time job or continue their education. Not only is NPower changing life trajectories for individuals from vulnerable communities but they are also strengthening the overall competitiveness of U.S. businesses hamstrung by today's limited pool of IT talent. To learn more about NPower, visit http://www.npower.org.

About Guardian

Every day, Guardian provides Americans the security they deserve through our insurance and wealth management products and services. Since our founding in 1860, our long-term view has helped our customers prepare for whatever life brings whether starting a family, planning for the future or taking care of employees. Today, we're a Fortune 250 mutual company and a leading provider of life, disability, dental, and other benefits for individuals, at the workplace and through government sponsored programs. The Guardian community of over 9,000 employees and our network of over 2,500 financial representatives is committed to serving with expertise when, where and how our clients need us. Our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which at year-end 2019 included $9.3 billion in capital and $1.7 billion in operating income. For more information, please visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Guardian: [email protected]

NPower, Kelly Gibson: [email protected]

SOURCE Guardian