Unlocking New York's Hidden Assets
Young people may hold the key to the city’s future as a hub for high tech.
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| Barbara Chang, Chief Executive Officer, NPower |
If New York is to continue attracting and retaining high-tech industries, something has to change. The city today simply does not have enough workers with the skills demanded by companies that could help widen Silicon Alley into a boulevard. We face a talent shortage at all points along the continuum of information technology (IT) skills, from computer scientists and engineers to network support technicians and people to provide help-desk services.
Graduating more scientists and engineers is a long-term education challenge for our nation. But the demand for IT workers can also be addressed by tapping a city resource that is plentiful yet woefully ignored – our city’s disconnected youth. Out of school, unemployed or working near minimum wage, these young people are technologically fluent and have the potential to excel in an IT career. They just lack formal training.
Closing this talent gap--while doing social good--is a goal of NPower NY, part of a national network of nonprofit organizations that help thousands of other nonprofits to expand their impact through the strategic use of technology. In 2002, NPower NY launched the Technology Service Corps (TSC), which offers IT training to marginalized young people who can help meet the growing demand for IT talent in the city.
What’s most innovative about TSC is the public/private/ nonprofit partnership that starts with NPower NY’s training, continues with student internships in nonprofits and government, and culminates in employment opportunities in all sectors. Exposure to the nonprofit sector early and often during their training helps graduates not only launch a career in technology but also become good citizens and neighbors who, in turn, help disadvantaged youth. It comes full circle at TSC.
Today, more than 200 students have graduated from TSC’s rigorous 16-week training programs in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. The program is now expanding to serve more than 100 students a year. More than 80 percent of students successfully graduate and find work in IT jobs that pay a decent living wage, even by New York standards. And with TSC training under their belt, a growing number of graduates are confident enough to take the Microsoft Certified Professional exam, a credential that is considered the gold standard in IT employment and career advancement.
TSC’s success is due to generous support from forward-thinking companies. Among them is Microsoft, which fuels TSC through Unlimited Potential grants and the volunteer efforts of many Microsoft employees who tutor students and offer professional guidance.
Our experience has reminded us what a tremendous asset the city’s young people truly can be. We’ve learned that technology can be a wonderful tool for realizing their potential— and for realizing a brighter future for all New York.
