Delaware Technical Community College is the recipient of a $125,000 grant from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation to expand pathways for careers in technology through a CISCO Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Routing and Switching certificate program.
The grant covers the program costs for instructors, student recruitment and equipment, as well as textbook and certification exam fees for students. To support students in completing the program, the College is providing scholarships for eligible applicants to cover the cost of tuition and fees.
“This partnership is just one example of how Delaware Tech works with businesses to meet workforce demand through high-quality academic and training programs. We are grateful for this significant support from JP Morgan Chase to help Delawareans enhance their skills, increase their wages, and ultimately improve their life.” stated college President Dr. Mark T. Brainard.
The grant is funded as part of JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s New Skills at Work Initiative.
Mike Zbranak, chief information officer at JPMorgan Chase states, “We know that helping people gain the skills they need is one part of tackling unemployment, but it is an area where we can make a contribution now and create greater economic opportunities in our community.”
The CISCO CCNP Routing and Switching certificate program, part of Delaware Tech’s Network Certification Academy, will teach students the skills needed to plan, implement, secure, maintain and troubleshoot converged enterprise networks. The program is designed for students who have earned the CISCO Certified Network Associate (CCNA) credential.
The program will be offered in evening and weekend formats that will run May-August at Delaware Tech’s Orlando J. George, Jr. Campus in Wilmington.
Upon completing the program and certification, students will be prepared to fill positions such as information technology associate, network architect, network administrator and network engineer. According to the Department of Labor, individuals with CCNP certification are estimated to earn an entry-level salary of $51,509 annually.
The CCNP program also supports Governor Markell’s TechHire initiative, a partnership among the state’s higher education institutions and several of Delaware’s largest employers, including JPMorgan Chase, to train and hire hundreds of IT professionals through accelerated education programs.
For more information about the program and to apply and be considered for a scholarship, please visit www.go.dtcc.edu/ccnp.
