Tech Impact Receives $2M in CARES Act Funding to Provide Free IT Training to Delawareans Impacted By COVID-19

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with, and funded by, the Delaware Department of Labor, Tech Impact today announced that it has received $2 million to lead the IT training and certification programs under Forward Delaware, Gov. John Carney's Rapid Workforce Training and Redeployment Training Initiative. Tech Impact will use the funding, a portion of Delaware's $10 million allocation through the federal CARES Act, to act as the intermediary service provider to place people in technology training, certification and job placement -- all for free -- as the state assists workers and their families who have lost jobs and income due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Tech Impact, a 501 (c)(3) is a leading provider of technology education and solutions for nonprofits and operates award-winning IT and customer experience training programs designed to help young adults launch their careers. With over a decade of experience in workforce development in the Delaware Valley, Tech Impact has deep partnerships with scores of employers that are seeking tech talent and is creating a skilled IT workforce with people from all walks of life who have been impacted by COVID-19. Through the nonprofit's Tech Hire program, Tech Impact will act as an intermediary with Delaware's workforce system and will be responsible for recruiting more than a hundred people into free certificate training programs, helping recruits build soft skills while they learn their new trade and then connecting them to employers. 

"COVID-19 has created thousands of unemployed or underemployed workers who are in need of skills to get back into the workforce quickly," said Patrick Callihan, Executive Director of Tech Impact. "Tech Impact is thrilled to partner with the state's workforce development program to meet the growing demand for skilled technology professionals and fill Delaware's tech talent pipeline while empowering workers to earn a living and support their families. Our mission is to not only have a positive impact on the lives of these individuals and the future of these organizations but to also strengthen Delaware communities in need by developing job growth in key industries and the overall tax base." 

In order to build a more inclusive talent pool, Tech Impact will be partnering with Code Differently, an experiential learning program and coding bootcamp that introduces students in underrepresented communities to computer science and industry practices through hands-on practical instruction. 

"The research is clear that diversity unlocks innovation; however, technology development representation does not nearly mirror the customers that use technology," said Stephanie Eldridge, Chief Executive Officer of Code Differently. "We focus on increasing diversity in technology. The Forward Delaware initiative will allow us to remove barriers associated with technology career awareness, access, and education by providing flexible training schedules, technology equipment, and a community of instructors and supporters. Looking forward to early 2021, we hope to see an immediate increase in underrepresented people in technology being employed in our local market."

Information on Tech Impact and the Tech Hire Delaware program can be found at (www.techhirede.org), an Equal Opportunity employer/program. The program is seeking advisors, mentors, and employers to aid in accomplishing the goals of the program. 

Equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Funded with Coronavirus Relief Fund (the "CRF") in section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") by the Delaware Department of Labor and the Delaware Workforce Development Board.

Contact: Caitlin Wolf, Tech Impact, 410-935-2363, [email protected]

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