From TechBridge:
TechBridge takes a systems approach to address education inequality and workforce
development in the metro Atlanta area and is scaling for national impact. Through
community partnerships, TechBridge aids in the recovery of the labor force by working with
education and employer partners to build innovative training programs for those who want a
technology job, but have never worked in the industry.
Many of our youngest students served are low-income students and students of color,
who may never have encountered people working in the tech industry. As noted by Susan
Cordova, “We are facing a critical juncture as a nation, and now we must double down on
strategies, like strongly articulated career-technical education pathways, that we know work. We have to rethink what school can look like and how we can rapidly engage our students
to make up for lost time. It is critical for our ability to prosper as a nation.” TechBridge
will address this challenge with our IT pre-apprenticeship model. This youth program has
the power to disrupt the status quo and reach students with intentional technical career
pathways before it’s too late.
We believe that early intervention and targeted instruction focused on cultural job
readiness, social skills and thoughtful IT instruction over time will change the norm and build
understanding of alternative pathways for those held back by systemic barriers and poverty.
Providing digital literacy and STEAM exposure earlier will improve outcomes and prepare
students for successful post-secondary options that include entry level technical roles,
apprenticeship programs and post-secondary technical training or college.
TechBridge’s programs are based on data from our recent white paper, written in conjunction with Georgia Tech Research Institute through the generosity of the Arthur Blank Foundation.
Click here to access the full white paper from TechBridge.