Quarterly Newsletter July, 2024

Tech Foundry Tech Forum

Welcome!

Founder’s Notes

Delcie Bean

Founder and Past Chair

Tech Foundry was founded to solve a pressing issue in our community. Employers had a growing need for qualified IT professionals, while many individuals from underrepresented communities sought career opportunities that offered a path to prosperity. Tech Foundry was created to bridge this gap, providing essential talent and redefining the typical IT employee profile.


As we embarked on this mission, two things became clear. First, there was immense interest and support from the community for such a program. Second, to succeed, we needed to understand why previous workforce development programs had failed. We discovered that success required a shift in perspective—making employers the primary customers. This approach allowed us to develop a dynamic, hands-on curriculum that evolves with the changing needs of the employers in our market.


Today, as we celebrate 10 years of impact, Tech Foundry has graduated over 480 students, with 75% accessing career-path jobs in the IT sector. The ripple effect of our work is profound, as evidenced by the inspiring atmosphere at each Tech Foundry graduation. Looking to the future, the strength of our IT workforce remains a critical factor in our region's health. With Tech Foundry continuing to thrive, I am optimistic about the road ahead.

Kicking Off 10th Anniversary Events!


Over the past decade, Tech Foundry has evolved from a small nonprofit to a regional workforce development and digital equity leader. This progress is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of the Tech Foundry staff, student-members, board, donors, employer partners and community of supporters. Together, we have created a significant, positive impact in the community – and will continue this momentum as we look towards the future.

Tech Foundry: Workforce panel looks at education to career pathways

As we celebrate this milestone, Tech Foundry had the pleasure of hosting the Innovation in Workforce Development Panel on Thursday, May 23rd. The panel brought together business, nonprofit, educational and government leaders from throughout Massachusetts to explore bold thinking aimed at enhancing the Commonwealth's economic competitiveness. Read more

Upcoming 10th Anniversary Events

  • “Gaming for Tech” Night - September 19, 2024, The Quarters - Register here

  • 10th Anniversary Gala - October 24, 2024, MGM - Register here

Tech Foundry Impacts

The success of the Tech Foundry workforce training program creates a dynamic environment where student job placements happen rapidly. Here's a glimpse of some recent successful matches between employer partners and our graduates.

Tech Hub

Since its launch in 2023 as part of a statewide initiative with the Western MA Alliance for Digital Equity, Our Tech Hub in Holyoke has been dedicated to bridging the digital divide in our community through free digital literacy classes and helpdesk/device support.


As of June 30,

  • We have served 1700 members.

  • We have conducted 231 workshops, including both regular sessions and those in partnership with other organizations.

  • Our digital literacy classes have welcomed 1238 attendees.


Our continued efforts ensure that more individuals have the tools and knowledge to thrive in today’s digital world.

Previous
Previous

Quarterly Newsletter October, 2024