The Global Leadership Forum Expands Reach of NPower's Tech Training Pipeline in St. Louis With $600K Contribution
ST. LOUIS, December 27, 2017 (Newswire.com) - The Global Leadership Forum (GLF) has announced that it will invest $600K in the nonprofit work training organization - NPower - over a four-year period. This contribution provides NPower students in St. Louis and across the country with transformative, high-quality technology skills training and professional development.
This contribution supports and aids NPower’s five-year strategic goal of placing 15,000 military veterans, minorities and young adults from underserved communities in career-track tech jobs by the end of 2022.
In order for America to compete on a global scale, we need to train our workforce with the digital skills required for prosperous economic growth. With NPower, students benefit from a curriculum that is designed by corporations and industry leaders. This education prepares them for work immediately upon graduation.
Dave Steward, Founder of GLF and chairman of World Wide Technology
This gift is part of the GLF strategic mission to create, nurture and evolve a coalition of organizations whose collective missions will drive increased numbers of diverse leaders in the talent pipeline that will demonstrate leadership in their communities and in the global marketplace.
“We are excited to team with NPower to increase the number of diverse graduates and professionals who are prepared to meet the growing demand of a tech-qualified workforce,” says Kendall Norris, CEO of the GLF. “The Global Leadership Forum investment supports NPower’s goal of becoming the go-to leader for employers to recruit diverse, entry-level technology talent by 2022.”
GLF and NPower Create Pathways for Digital Careers in St. Louis
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in today’s economy, over 50 percent of all jobs require some degree of technical and digital skill, and this is expected to grow to 77 percent by 2020 in the U.S. Yet, the job market is not keeping pace. And minorities remain underrepresented in tech. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 2.2 percent and 4.7 percent of tech professionals were black and Hispanic respectively in 2015.
“In order for America to compete on a global scale, we need to train our workforce with the digital skills required for prosperous economic growth,” says Dave Steward, founder of GLF and chairman and founder of World Wide Technology. “With NPower, students benefit from a curriculum that is designed by corporations and industry leaders. This education prepares them for work immediately upon graduation.”
Co-chairs and Advisory Board members Linda Gooden and Larry Quinlan echoed the sentiments and issued personal appeals to engage in the mission of the GLF and NPower. Linda stated, “I believe it's time to focus on our youth! It's time to ensure they too have an opportunity to achieve the proverbial American Dream. I believe access and affordability to a quality education is foundational because education is fundamental in changing one's economic paradigm.” Larry also reiterated the importance of education with his statement, ”Education, opportunity and action are hallmark traits of highly successful people. The Global Leadership Forum is dedicated to ensuring that our youth and our professionals are equipped with the education, opportunity and network required to help them achieve whatever level of success they choose.”
The GLF and NPower share a common goal of boosting a diverse, domestic technology workforce where all people regardless of ethnicity, gender or socio-economic background can succeed in the digital economy.
The CEO of NPower Bertina Ceccarelli says this GLF contribution will change the life trajectory for thousands of young adults, military veterans and minorities from communities that are frequently overlooked.
“This contribution from GLF will help expand the work-training programs NPower already has in place,” says Ceccarelli. “Our tech-training, mentoring from business leaders, paid internships and career development workshops continually set NPower apart from all others. Our graduates also leave with industry-recognized certifications and private networking opportunities with our alumni.”
Trina Clark-James, the executive director for NPower in St. Louis, says this contribution will have an immediate impact on the local community.
“We know the needs and job skills our local businesses, corporations and nonprofits are looking for throughout the St. Louis area,” said Clark-James. “We are on the ground floor, speaking directly to potential students, graduates and our partners. This $600,000 contribution will kick off 2018 with power.”
The next NPower tech training programs begin in St. Louis on Jan. 22, 2018. Students can apply here.
About NPower
NPower is a national nonprofit, founded in 2002, that creates pathways to economic prosperity by launching IT careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities. They empower underrepresented talent to pursue tech futures by teaching the technical and professional skills demanded by the marketplace and engaging corporations, volunteers and nonprofits in the long-term success of their students. NPower programs are free to qualified students. For more information, visit http://www.npower.org and follow NPower on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Global Leadership Forum (GLF)
Global Leadership Forum (GLF) promotes state-of-the-art programs that will produce workforce-ready diverse talent from entry to C-level positions in the public and private sectors and foster entrepreneurialism in technology. This is accomplished by jointly and strategically focusing on improving the graduation rates in the STEAM disciplines, enhancing the soft skills, fostering innovation and creative thought, developing leadership skills and mastering leading technology industry competencies. GLF achieves its strategic goals by:
- Fostering core values that are critical for sustainable success - Commitment • Courage • Humility • Open-minded • Servant leadership • Visionary • Integrity • Trust
- Facilitating collaboration between policymakers, educators non-profit and corporate entities and diverse leadership focused on creating transformative change for underserved communities
- Engaging students in the classroom, through rigorous mentorship, by providing internships, scholarships, permanent employment and jointly creating business opportunities
- Addressing educational/skills gaps and workforce needs of the public and private sectors through partnerships and alliances
Press Contact:
Mark Macias
email: mmm@maciaspr.com
Phone: 646-770-0541
Source: NPower
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