Charlotte Nonprofit Road to Hire to Bring Tech Job Access to Underresourced Young Adults in Atlanta, Austin and Richmond
Expanding outside of NC for the first time, local young adults can now apply for paid 6-month tech apprenticeships, leading to high-earning, full-time job placements
Road to Hire, a nonprofit that provides under-represented and under-served young adults with non-traditional pathways to high-earning tech jobs, expands outside of the Carolinas for the first time with the launch of its paid, six-month coding apprenticeship program in Atlanta, Austin and Richmond. The paid, bootcamp-style apprenticeship trains local young adults 18-25 in coding skills, professional development and mentorship to help launch their careers.
After a rigorous six-month training program, graduates earn full-time jobs with premier employers like Bank of America and Red Ventures – with full benefits and a starting salary of $50,000 or more. The Apprenticeship program – for which applications are open now – will officially begin in October with a cohort of 100 students. All applications are due by August 22nd.
“So many young people in our cities have been limited by financial barriers and systemic racism for far too long,” said Kacey Grantham, Road to Hire Executive Director. “Now, more young adults will be able to take hold of their future and achieve the economic justice that has long been lacking in our most vulnerable communities.”
Road to Hire’s expansion builds on the significant success the program has had in Charlotte since its founding in 2016. Not only are 87% of Apprenticeship alumni promoted within two years – many are earning more than $100,000 within five years. Vanessa Baker, an August 2020 Road to Hire graduate, who is now a successful software engineer at Bank of America, said, “The power of Road to Hire to invest in and build the next generation of tech professionals cannot be quantified. The apprenticeship, along with the mentorship and support, helped me tap into my own potential and build my confidence in a field I never thought possible.”
In addition to alumni success, Road to Hire’s success is also measured by the deep community support that has rallied around the program in Charlotte.
“As we look ahead to Austin, Atlanta, and Richmond, we will continue to create a coalition of public, private, and non-profit organizations united under a common purpose – to close the economic opportunity gap – and propel generations of young adults forward,” said Grantham.
ABOUT ROAD TO HIRE
Road to Hire (R2H) connects under-resourced young adults with life-changing careers through access to paid apprenticeships, college scholarships and robust mentorship. The pathway that students join with Road to Hire is one toward economic justice for themselves and their families. Since 2016, R2H has supported 1,300 young adults, including 200 graduates from its tech apprenticeship program who are now employed in software development and cybersecurity roles at R2H’s ten partner companies. For more information, visit https://roadtohire.org.
