Three-year grant will support Year Up's work to increase access to economic opportunity for young adults
BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The national workforce development organization Year Up announced today that it has received a three-year, $4.5 million grant from Ascendium Education Group to reach more learners with the Google Career Certificates program in Austin, TX and Seattle, WA. The grant will enable greater access to economic opportunity for young adults (ages 18-29, without bachelor's degrees) interested in advancing their careers in technology.
The Google Career Certificates program equips people with job-ready skills in growing fields, including IT Support and Project Management. The certificates are industry-recognized credentials that can be completed within three to six months of part-time study, with no degree or experience required. Certificate graduates are also connected to the program's employer consortium of more than 150 companies that are committed to considering them for relevant roles. There are more than 150,000 Google Career Certificates graduates in the U.S., and 55% of them identify as Asian, Black, or Latino.
"With the support of Ascendium Education Group, Year Up can continue to develop and scale innovative program models that meet young people wherever they are in their journey to economic self-sufficiency," said Gerald Chertavian, Year Up Founder and CEO. "The Google Career The Certificates program provides students with an industry-recognized credential and direct connections to internships and employment, with personalized coaching to ensure their career success."
Students in both the Seattle and Austin programs participate in a 3-month virtual training that includes professional skills, followed by a 6-month internship at a top company. Year Up Seattle students will earn a Google Project Management Certificate and Year Up Austin students will earn a Google IT Support Certificate from Google at the end of the 3-month training period.
Nationwide, 80 percent of Year Up graduates are employed or attending college within four months of completing the program, with average starting salaries of $52,000/year. In May 2022, the federally-sponsored Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) follow-up evaluation of Year Up showed that in the six years post-program, young adults randomly assigned to Year Up earned 30 percent more compared with similar young adults in a control group — the largest impact on earnings reported to date for a workforce program tested in a randomized controlled trial.
"Year Up and Ascendium share a commitment to expanding high-quality education and workforce training pathways that provide real opportunities for economic mobility," said Carolynn Lee, Senior Program Officer – Streamline Key Learner Transitions at Ascendium Education Group. "We are proud to partner with Year Up to leverage the organization's proven impact and strong plans for strategic scale that keeps the focus on what's best for learners."
About Year Up Inc.
Year Up is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults—no matter their background, income, or zip code. Year Up utilizes a high-expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills to help them effectively navigate a modern work environment. Year Up has served more than 40,000 young adults across 35 campuses since its founding in 2000 and has been voted one of the "Best Non-Profits to Work For" by The NonProfit Times. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
About Ascendium Education Group
Ascendium Education Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping people reach the education and career goals that matter to them. Ascendium invests in initiatives designed to increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who complete postsecondary degrees, certificates and workforce training programs, with an emphasis on first-generation students, incarcerated adults, rural community members, students of color and veterans. Ascendium's work identifies, validates and expands best practices to promote large-scale change at the institutional, system and state levels, with the intention of elevating opportunity for all. For more information, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org.
Media Contact
Lauren Peachey, Year Up, 424-543-2539, [email protected]
SOURCE Year Up
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