The Knight Center of Digital Excellence has been actively involved in the planning of an innovative, IT workforce development program in the Knight community of Lexington, Ky. YouthTech will have participants (18 to 24 years old) take part in training programs that include technology classes, mentoring, personal development and workforce training. In addition, all participants receive case management and referral services as appropriate. The program is designed to address four key areas:

Workforce development: Education

The program isn’t designed to simply teach students basic information technology skills. Training will focus on participants obtaining industry-standard certifications, such as Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) Server 2008 Administration Training, MCTS Application Development Training and others.

Community Service

To complete certification, students will demonstrate skills through service learning projects. As participants progress through the program, projects will be identified comparable with their skill levels. Projects may include teaching a computer literacy course, designing or performing maintenance on the website of a local non-profit organization, or even working on community initiatives to provide wireless Internet access at a reduced rate to low-income neighborhoods in their area.

Partnerships with local businesses:

Plans for YouthTech include the promotion of partnerships with local businesses for mentorship, internship and possible job placement. An interesting aspect of the program will be the individual success plans developed for each participant. For some participants, this could be job readiness upon completion of high school, or admission into and success in a two-year vocational training program or a four-year degree program. Regardless of the goal, local mentors will be assigned to students to foster a relationship that helps carry the student through the program and into post-program success.

If successful, YouthTech will be a high-impact addition to the collection of Lexington-area programs dedicated towards teaching students valuable technology skills. The city already boasts Tubby’s Clubhouse, a computer-training program for low-income middle school students in Lexington-Fayette County; an Academy of Information Technology at Bryan Station High School; and an Information Technology program at Fayette County Public Schools East Side Technical School. These types of programs can really make a difference for a community.

Lexington is home to numerous small technology businesses in addition to three major hospitals that require advanced security networks and are working to transition into the new era or bio informatics. Programs like YouthTech can position local youth to serve as the qualified individuals needed to fill existing and future jobs. It’s this kind of initiative that ensures connected communities will have an intelligent workforce prepared to compete in an ever-evolving global environment.

Overall, the goal of YouthTech is that students will ultimately develop into self-reliant, productive adults working in the IT field. But in addition to students working to become IT-competent, they’ll work to become “employable.” This includes developing skills in resume writing and delivery; bolstering interview techniques; and developing professional habits such as punctuality, dependability and workplace-appropriate communication.