URA Announces TechEquity - A New Technology Scholarship Partnership for City of Pittsburgh Minority Residents

URA partnering with Level Up in Tech and Tech Elevator to provide training and career opportunities in technology fields 

PITTSBURGH, PA (April 15, 2021) The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) announced today it has partnered with Level Up in Tech and Tech Elevator to launch TechEquity - a new scholarship program for minorities living in the City of Pittsburgh looking to make a career transition into the technology sector. The URA has committed a total of $32,500 for the scholarships, with funding made possible by a workforce development grant from the Hillman Foundation.  
 
“I want to acknowledge the URA’s Workforce Development team and their efforts to make this scholarship program a reality,” said URA Deputy Executive Director Diamonte Walker. “I also want to thank the Hillman Foundation for its generous support of this program which will help us address the racial inequities in Pittsburgh’s tech community.”  

According to the City of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission's 2019 report, “Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race,” only 4 percent of jobs in the tech field are held by Black Pittsburghers. The national average is approximately 9 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.   

“It’s our responsibility to bridge that divide by providing targeted support and creating opportunities to address these inequalities,” said Walker. “This scholarship program is the first step in taking responsibility, providing our minority residents with the training and skills necessary to become certified in various technology fields, and preparing them for the jobs and industries of the future.”
  
The URA is providing $17,500 to fully sponsor five scholarships with Level Up in Tech for African American individuals living in the City. The URA is also providing $15,000 to Tech Elevator as a co-sponsor of three scholarships for minority City residents.    

Level Up in Tech is a comprehensive cloud career bootcamp for individuals who are serious about taking their first steps in the cloud industry. It provides a strategic learning path that focuses on real-world experience, offers career coaching as well as resume and interview preparation.   

"At Level Up in Tech, we work to help you build the skills and gain experience to understand what it really takes to be a Cloud Engineer,” said Broadus Palmer, founder, Level Up in Tech. “We serve and support anyone who is wanting to make a transition in cloud but we specialize in helping individuals with no tech background at all. In the end, you will be a more confident and skilled engineer with an understanding of how to solve real world problems for major companies and startups. We look forward to working with the URA team."

Tech Elevator is an intensive in-person, (currently in live remote format due to COVID-19), and virtual live remote education provider helping individuals and companies acquire in-demand technology skills for the modern workforce. Through its 14-week, full-time coding bootcamps, students are taught to become software developers while building career-readiness skills and career connections through Tech Elevator’s nationally recognized Pathway Program™.  

"We are proud to partner with the URA on increasing accessibility to tech careers through our Represent Tech Scholarship and look forward to impacting the lives of diverse Pittsburgh residents as they build in-demand skills in our program,” said Jennifer O’Brien, campus director, Tech Elevator.

For more information and program qualifications, interested candidates should contact Pierce Robinson, the URA’s manager of diversified business solutions, at probinson@ura.org or 412.255.6418. 

About the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA)
The URA is the City of Pittsburgh's economic development agency, supporting the City’s economic development goals, which are designed to create a city of inclusive opportunity for residents, stakeholders, and communities. The URA is committed to creating more housing that is affordable to the average Pittsburgher; encouraging more entrepreneurship and small business development; promoting inclusive growth and quality job creation; expanding neighborhood and main streets revitalization efforts; and developing a talented workforce that is equipped with the skills of the future.

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