A $200,000 grant will help local organization Road to Hire accelerate its technical training programs for underrepresented young adults.
Founded in 2014, the Fort Mill nonprofit invests in young adults ages 18 to 25 who want high-level job skills but don't have access to a college degree. The organization partners with local employers to provide a six-month paid, full-time apprenticeship, at the end of which, graduates earn a full-time entry-level position in software development or cybersecurity making at least $55,000.
Road to Hire's employer partners are Bank of America Corp., Lowe’s Cos. Inc., Atrium Health, Novant Health, NASCAR, Duke Energy Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., Red Ventures, Truist and Ally.
"Our focus is on economic justice for young adults who come from backgrounds where they’ve been historically excluded from high-earning, high-growth career opportunities," Road to Hire Executive Director Kacey Grantham said.
Grantham said the organization received the grant through Cognizant Foundation, which works to provide communities with education, industry-informed training and career pathways in technology. The foundation recently provided $5.5 million in grants to 13 North American organizations.
"(The grant's) purpose is to support and help accelerate the apprenticeship workforce programs Road to Hire has in place," she said. "It's allowing us to accelerate that work and put more young people through the program."
Grantham added, "We believe that just like their peers, they deserve access to sustaining careers. Through our employer partners, we’ve proven you don’t need a college degree to go into a software engineering role and be successful."
Kristen Titus, executive director of the Cognizant Foundation, called Road to Hire's work a "testament to the positive impact an organization can have when it deeply understands the local ecosystem in which it operates." She said the funding is meant to support its expansion into new cities and continue providing tech training and jobs.
"Their work in Charlotte, and their upcoming launches in Atlanta, Austin and Richmond, only prove how they are able to respond to localized needs and create meaningful programs that prepare students for careers, whether that be by pursuing college or a paid apprenticeship," she said.
Since implementing the program, Road to Hire has graduated 200 students, with 50 more set to graduate this month. Grantham said first-year job retention rate for graduates is 95% and 87% are promoted within two years.
"This is life trajectory changing for them, their families and for the next generation who see this is possible," she said. "That’s the most powerful piece."
