City of Modesto and Bay Valley Tech Promote Equity in Tech Career Opportunities
Modesto’s Community and Economic Development Department has teamed up with Bay Valley Tech to bring new tech career opportunities to underserved community members. Modesto is investing $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to support an expansion of Bay Valley Tech’s successful Free Code Academy curriculum to include a design career pathway.
The Modesto City Council approved the Community Development Block Grant on November 9. The grant is funded with federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act money awarded by the US Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) to the City. The program will be based on a free 16-week digital design course that will include principles of graphic design, coding, and front-end web development. The City’s grant will support 30 Modesto students. In the class, students will learn the principles of graphic design, coding and front-end web development, among other topics.
“There are a growing number of good tech career opportunities in the Modesto area that do not require heavy programming skills”, said Phil Lan, Founder of Bay Valley Tech. “We’ve been working on expanding our training programs into web design and related career paths, and this grant from the City of Modesto will help accelerate that program and help underserved candidates get a career boost, tuition-free.”
“Modesto Community and Economic Development is always looking for high-impact ways to improve our local economy and the lives of our people”, said Jessica Hill, Community Development Manager. “Workforce development programs have been a focus of the City’s Community Development Block Grant investments to help low- and moderate-income applicants accelerate their careers while providing in-demand skills and talent to Modesto employers. Modesto has previously partnered with VOLT Institute in this type of activity and is pleased to join with Bay Valley Tech to expand the availability of sustainable career options for those who need them most.”
Bay Valley Tech will be finalizing the new program over the next several months. Modesto residents interested in Bay Valley Tech’s software development program are encouraged to apply to join cohorts that will start in December and January. To learn more about Bay Valley Tech’s programs, visit https://www.bayvalleytech.com.