Minneapolis Collaboration Offers Approach to Addressing Digital Divide & Expanding IT Workforce

An initiative to provide computer training to local teenagers to help jumpstart their information technology careers was launched earlier this month in Minneapolis. The Community IT Learning Center is the result of a partnership involving a North Minneapolis-based youth development organization, two local technology training companies, and Microsoft. While the training is designed to help close Minnesota’s Digital Divide 12 students at a time, the center is putting in place mechanisms to increase the impact beyond each class.



Upon completing the first round of semester-long classes, students will receive A+ Certification, the first step to an IT career as hardware technicians. The training will be provided at no expense to the students, and the program will pick up the fees for the students to receive A+ Certification. Students receiving certification will receive an after-school and summer internship with a Minneapolis company and earn a minimum of $10 per hour, possibly up to $20 per hour. Students will also have the option of pursuing additional certification levels.



In exchange for the free instruction and work experience, center graduates will perform 20 hours of volunteer community service upon certification and must help mentor the next class.



The 12-student computer lab was donated to Hospitality House Boys and Girls Club (home of the Community IT Learning Center) by Mindsharp, a Twin Cities technology training company. REALskills, a technology training partnership of several companies, created the 14 week training program, while Microsoft donated the software.



More information is available at http://www.hospitalityhouse.net

Editor’s Note: The Community IT Learning Center is one of many programs across the country that is providing IT training. While this project did not involve public funding, $205 million is available from the U.S. Department of Education for 21st Century Community Learning Centers. The funding will support approximately 400 grants ranging in size from $35,000 to $2,000,000. The centers must be connected to public schools. More information is available at: http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg/grantann/q101/010301b.txt