A Training Program that Created a Better World for One Young Person from the Bronx
In 2003, Matt Rivera* was a twenty four-year-old Bronx resident who was working a low-wage job and was about to become a father for the first time.
Matt worked in retail and earned just above minimum wage, not enough to support his young family. Given the high unemployment rate in the Bronx, Matt was reluctant to leave his current position without having secured another job. But he had minimal professional skills and did not have a college degree. Matt and his family could have ended up like so many other families in their situation: life on a shoestring budget with little opportunity to reach their dreams of a better life.
But Matt was different. He realized he had to pursue a better paying job with more opportunities to build a career. Matt sought advice and learned about NPower NY's Technology Service Corps program (TSC) and decided to take advantage of this opportunity.
TSC is NPower NY's pioneering workforce development program that achieves a unique social and service double bottom line: giving out of school youth a chance at a technology career as well as helping nonprofit organizations harness the power of technology in serving their communities.
Through the TSC program, Matt was able to develop technical and professional skills, build a network of nonprofit and corporate professionals, and define short-term career goals. In June 2003, Matt graduated from TSC and is now employed at a large nonprofit as a network administrator.
In addition to securing a career track job, a steady, higher income has encouraged graduates like Matt to pursue their dreams. They can now afford to make investments in their futures by saving money or paying off debt, and they can live on their own for the first time in their young lives. With each of these steps, graduates are connected to hope, confidence, and a meaningful purpose to their lives.
When asked about the experience, Matt says, "This training is more than technical skills or professional development. It's about changing the way the way you and other people view you. It's about making your son proud to say that his dad is a network administrator. It's about my mother no longer asking me 'what are you going to do with your life?' I am a role model. My sister looks up to me and now she's more interested in computers and technology. There's a feeling of pride and a sense of accomplishment."
*Name has been changed to protect the student's privacy.
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