Zip Code Wilmington, announced will receive $4.5 million over three years from the State of Delaware to provide tuition and living stipends to qualified Delaware residents.
The ‘Break Into Tech’ Scholarship will support more than 200 Delaware residents as they go through a 12-week bootcamp process in becoming Java software developers, data analysts and data engineers.
“We need to make sure that Delawareans have the skills needed to compete for good-paying jobs of the future,” said Gov. John Carney. “That’s why we’re targeting these workforce development investments in industries like technology and engineering that are in-demand today, and growing. Zip Code Wilmington is a perfect example of the kind of program that works.
The Break Into Tech Scholarship expands upon Zip Code Wilmington’s work under the 2020 Forward Delaware program by providing scholarship recipients with a stipend while attending Zip Code Wilmington.
It means the $15,000 cost of training (specifically, the $6,000 upfront tuition paid by the students and the $9,000 remaining tuition balance paid on behalf of the student by the corporate partner employers on behalf of the student) will be paid in full by the State of Delaware.
Students will receive an added benefit – more than $1,000 each month to offset living expenses while attending the program full-time.
“This grant will make it possible for unemployed or underemployed Delawareans, including those working at minimum wage jobs, to transition into salaried tech careers and transform their lives forever,” said Executive Director Desa Burton, Zip Code Wilmington. “Zip Code Wilmington will receive $1.5 million each year for three years from the State of Delaware. This generous grant will make access to high quality tech training a reality for many Delaware residents living in poverty and impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and thereby help lift residents into good paying, high demand, financially stable tech careers.”
“Unfortunately, many low-income residents fall within the financial assistance gap that exists and are forced to find their own way to secure funding needed for education and reskilling programs like Zip Code Wilmington,” stated Claire DeMatteis, special assistant to the Governor. “We are proud to fund such an esteemed and well-respected program like Zip Code Wilmington, and we have confidence they will not only provide top notch tech training, but will also be a partner in helping to place graduates in long-term careers. We’ve seen their positive outcomes firsthand and are looking forward to getting more Delaware residents into tech jobs that are in high-demand in our state.”
Zip Code Wilmington has successfully trained nearly 500 software developers and, more recently, data engineers, since it launched in 2015. An estimated 85% of its graduates have secured developer jobs with Delaware-area employers.
Further information on Zip Code Wilmington is available at www.zipcodewilmington.com.
