Obama Administration Unveils $100 Million IT Jobs Grant

The Obama administration today launched the TechHire initiative it announced back in March in an effort to expand the country’s information technology workforce through a targeted grant competition.

Announced in March, the TechHire initiative will award $100 million in grants to fund tech training, recruitment and hiring to help fill more than half a million open IT jobs across the country. The effort is largely directed at those between the ages of 17 and 29, with half the grant money directed toward this demographic.

The grants will be available through the Labor Department, and will mix traditional education in topics like cybersecurity, software development and network administration with nontraditional approaches like coding boot camps and online courses.  

According to the White House, more than 20 communities have committed to take action through partnerships with each other and national employers, and it’s clear the White House wants more to join in.

“This grant will serve people with barriers to accessing training including people with childcare responsibilities, people with disabilities, people with limited English proficiency, and disconnected youth, among others," according to a White House press statement. "It will serve both unemployed and low-skilled front line workers. Grants will pilot and scale innovative partnerships between employers, workforce boards, training institutions, nonprofit organizations, and cities and states across the country.”

U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith and Labor Secretary Tom Perez announced the launch in Baltimore, Maryland. The City of Baltimore is launching its own TechHire initiative, to "provide alternative pathways to Web development, advertising technology, digital fabrication, and cybersecurity jobs for residents including the unemployed, underemployed and formerly incarcerated," the White House announcement said. 

(Image via baranq/Shutterstock.com)