The H.O.P.E. Project, aka the “Harvard of the Hood”, turns 3 years old
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Raymond E. Bell
Phone: 202-449-8663 Ext. 1
Email: hopeprojectdmv@gmail.com
The H.O.P.E. Project, aka the “Harvard
of the Hood”, turns 3 years old
Unfunded IT training program prepares socially and economically disadvantaged young adults for help desk careers with an average student starting salary of $37,500. Several students have accepted offers of $40,000 per year or more. The highest student starting salary is $47,500 per year.
Unfunded IT training program prepares socially and economically disadvantaged young adults for help desk careers with an average student starting salary of $37,500. Several students have accepted offers of $40,000 per year or more. The highest student starting salary is $47,500 per year.
(Washington,
DC) - January 12, 2012 - The jobless rate in the poorest part of the District of Columbia is higher than in any U.S.
metropolitan area with a labor-force of comparable size, according to figures
released by the city government.
Unemployment in the district’s Ward 8 climbed to 28.2
percent in June 2011. Ward 8 now has a bright light called the
H.O.P.E. Project. The program is turning
Ward 8 residents from TANF recipients into $40,000 a year help desk analysts.
This ground breaking program has existed for three years without any federal, city or corporate funding. The program is 100 percent volunteer. Although a volunteer program, the H.O.P.E. Project has produced success rates unmatched in the Washington metropolitan area. The H.O.P.E. Project’s brand is so popular that the program holds just two information sessions a year to fill 16 slots. This year’s information sessions drew 209 young adults. The information sessions were held at the 7th District Police Station and Matthew Memorial Baptist Church.
The
program is the recruiting ground for many of the top information technology staffing
companies in the Washington, DC area and firms from Florida and Texas have
partnered with the H.O.P.E. Project.
Additionally, several technology firms have recruited and hired H.O.P.E.
Project students, including Competitive Innovations, MIL Corporation, MMC
Group, RCG Inc. and Battelle. Competitive Innovations donated SharePoint
training vouchers and exam manuals. The
program boasts an amazing record of 100 percent pass rate for the CompTIA A+
exam. Several students have earned
multiple certifications since graduating.
In December 2011, four students interviewed with MIL Corporation to fill several Customer Support Analyst positions. All four students were offered positions. They are currently going through the clearance process. The program has become so popular because of the success of the participants one student relocated from Greensboro, North Carolina after hearing about the program.
The
H.O.P.E. Project is in partnership with Share Tech Solutions, an HUB Zone
information technology company, to staff and manage their 24/7 helpdesk and
call center operation. The Share Tech
Solutions partnership will give new students the opportunity to earn income and
gain valuable helpdesk experience right away.
On
November 8, 2011, the H.O.P.E. Project held its annual town hall on jobs and
unemployment in Ward 8 at Matthew Memorial Baptist Church. The event drew nearly 200 people. The information session, held in advance of
the town hall, attracted 118 young adults between the ages of 18-30.
The
2012 H.O.P.E. Project class has set several program records, including the
fastest class to have a student land a help desk position and the most students
from a single class to accept an information technology position before graduation. To date, seven students have accepted offers
of employment. The class currently has
18 students.
The H.O.P.E. Project class meets Tuesday and Thursday
evenings and one Saturday each month.
The program is a 9 month commitment. The program has very strict attendance
policies. Several students have perfect
attendance and no student has missed more than 3 days since the program began
in September 2011. The 2012 class
graduates on June 2, 2012. The 18
students are expected to graduate with their CompTIA A+ certification and be
employed as a help desk professional.
The
H.O.P.E. is an information technology career training program that prepares
socially and economically disadvantaged young people for rewarding careers as
help desk and application support positions.
The H.O.P.E. Project program is offered at the International Graduate
University a 501(c) 3, 1325 D Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003.
To
learn more about this innovative program, visit the H.O.P.E. Project website, www.hopeprojectdc.org or call 202-449-8663, ext.1.
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