The Hg Foundation Backs Merit America to Help Low-Wage Workers Access Careers in Tech

The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity with a focus on removing barriers to education & skills in technology, announced a three-year partnership with Merit America, a U.S. nonprofit that provides training and support to help low-wage workers access higher-earning careers. The Foundation’s initial seed investment will enable Merit America to expand its data analysis capabilities, with a focus on evaluating the outcomes of its training programs and the hope to grow this investment over time.

“This is The Hg Foundation’s second partnership in the United States and we’re delighted to be supporting people across the country into fulfilling careers in the tech sector,” said Gero Witteman, Trustee at The Hg Foundation. “The Hg Foundation focuses on measurable, long term and scalable interventions and Merit America’s program aligns closely with these goals. Together, we have the opportunity to meaningfully scale Merit America’s work to help many more individuals overcome barriers to careers in technology.”

Recommended AI News: Third Coast Bank Chooses Klarivis to Boost Customer Experience

Research from Opportunity@Work suggests that more than 70 million Americans without college degrees have the skills to succeed in higher-wage careers, but are often overlooked by employers.  For many workers seeking opportunities for economic mobility, barriers such as rising tuition costs and inflexible schedules — which disproportionately affect communities of color — often stand in the way of pursuing education and training.

Designed to address this challenge by building new pathways to career mobility at scale, Merit America offers short, practical, and comprehensive training programs that consist of technical training, career coaching, interview preparation, resume building, and job placement. The partnership between Merit America and The Hg Foundation will support the data and evaluation program at Merit America, improving its data and analytics capabilities, as well as an external evaluation study to assess and optimize the impact of the organization’s work.

Recommended AI News: Talend Data Catalog 8 Delivers Smart, Fast, and Flexible Data Compliance

“We know that by bringing together high-quality training with intensive coaching and support, it’s possible to drive transformative wage gains for workers at scale,” said Rebecca Taber Staehelin, Co-CEO of Merit America. “This partnership will enable us to tap into the analytical expertise of The Hg Foundation, while also providing significant investment to enable us to scale our programs effectively.”

The Hg Foundation was formed in 2020 with the goal to make an impact on the development of skills most required for employment within the technology industry, focusing on individuals who may otherwise experience barriers to access. The Hg Foundation is backed by Hg, a leading software and services investor.

Recommended AI News: Classy Launches New Digital Tools for Nonprofit Customers

[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]