ITWorks

In southeastern Pennsylvania, more than 70,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither in school nor employed. Currently, workplace internships and other opportunities to gain job skills and experience are available to only a fraction of these young people.

The NPower Pennsylvania Information Technology Workforce Program or “ITWorks” helps these young people become job-ready for a technologically sophisticated workplace by teaching them PC configuration and networking skills, troubleshooting, customer service and communication skills, all while acquiring an understanding of a professional work environment.   Students develop a robust social consciousness through service internships at nonprofits and are given opportunities upon graduation to be placed within nonprofits as IT workers.  At the same time, ITWorks provides these students with an experience that will help improve their income potential for life and help them become self-sufficient.

To apply for ITWorks or to Volunteer, please visit www.ITWorks.org

ITWorks has an additional benefit that is at the heart of NPower PA’s mission, it provides a flow of reasonably-priced, talented support professionals to their nonprofit clients who are desperately in need of them.

The United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania is a founding supporter of ITWorks.  The program continues thanks to generous support from them, Accenture, SAP and ING DIRECT.

In times such as these, when nonprofits are cutting back on services in light of decreased donor revenue and jobs are disappearing from low-income neighborhoods, ITWorks becomes a critical opportunity to keep neighborhoods strong and services intact. The impacts of this program will be felt far beyond the youths and nonprofits immediately involved. They will be felt in the families and communities from which ITWorks students come and to which they return when the program is over.  Through ITWorks NPower is truly supporting our entire community.

Click here to watch a video about the ITWorks program.

Program Description:

ITWorks offers a free, 16-week immersive IT training program and then places graduates in full-time employment throughout Philadelphia’s nonprofit, business and public sectors. Participants practice their new skills and give back to their communities by performing 5-week paid service internships for area nonprofits.

Throughout the program students are mentored by professionals in the field and are taught the “soft” skills they will need to compete in a modern workplace.  Mentorships are enabled through NPower PA’s deep corporate relationships visa vie The NPower PA CIO Council, a group of 32 fortune 500 CIO’s who are committed to NPower PA’s mission.  These interactions put these students on the fast track to possible employment within these corporations upon graduation.

The internships in local nonprofits achieve the same, providing students with an opportunity to demonstrate their value to nonprofit organiations and possibly gain long-term employment.  Finally, some graduates will be brought on as employees of NPower PA, providing technology services to over 325 organizations in the region.

TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC:

ITWorks targets urban youth, 18-25, who either have GED’s or high school diplomas but whom have not moved on to higher education.

Outcomes:

In times such as these, when nonprofits are cutting back on services in light of decreased donor revenue and jobs are disappearing from low-income neighborhoods, ITWorks becomes a critical opportunity to keep neighborhoods strong and services intact. The impacts of this program ripple far beyond the youths and nonprofits immediately involved. They are felt in the families and communities from which ITWorks students come and to which they return when the program is over.

To Learn More:

To learn more about this program please call 215-557-1559 or visit www.itworks.org.