Premised on transforming lives with stable careers, the TechBridge Technology Career Program brings together Atlanta’s career technologists, industry-requested curriculums, and a diverse group of students with an aptitude to learn. Each graduate attains the skills, resources, and connections they needs to succeed. In addition to teaching languages, methodologies, and frameworks (such as SCRUM, ServiceNow, and Salesforce), the free 16-week program also helps these non-traditional students navigate through professional development areas and workplace norms to help them succeed.

TechBridge supporters Marva Bailer (strategic advisor for Splunk) and Marci McCarthy (CEO & president of T.E.N.) leverage their passions for mentoring and coaching by conducting sessions on utilizing LinkedIn for each cohort of TechBridge students. Marva and Marci instruct students on how to effectively craft a professional image on one’s profile, how to introduce one’s self properly, and how to leverage connections on LinkedIn to build a career in technology (including best practices for utilizing social media professionally versus personally).

Technology Career Program graduate Jessie Roper, a ServiceNow Administrator at Graphic Packaging International, recently shared You guys taught me valuable skills, and now you’re teaching my younger brother. Really breaking the generational poverty line in our family. We grew up struggling, and our education and careers suffered for it. Now we’ve both got a golden opportunity. I thank you TechBridge, Inc., Marci McCarthy, Valarie Mackey, Andre Dickens, and the many fine caseworkers at Goodwill of North Georgia, as well as the many other speakers, instructors, and guests. I’ll be at my new career 8 months at the end of this year, and it’s all thanks to you.

The learning doesn’t stop when the class is over. Marci and Marva’s homework for the students is to connect each of them on LinkedIn by using one of the tips given in the class — a personal note with the LinkedIn invitation on how they met them or what they learned from the class. This gives the students real world experience out of the gate, two amazing connections, and instant gratification — a tag in the class photo shared.

The example above shows the powerful connections between the technology industry and the Technology Career Program. From success coaches (mentors) to guest instructing to hiring graduates, TechBridge is thankful for all of the support of the program and looks forward to an even more successful 2020. We hope you will consider joining us as we build a pipeline of technology talent in Atlanta.