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BIT EXCLUSIVE PROGRAMS & RESOURCES

Fine print: The award of any scholarship or grant is at BIT’s discretion. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and may not be awarded more than one scholarship or grant per calendar year. No cash equivalents are available. Scholarships and grants are not transferable. Recipients are responsible for their own financial reporting. Due to limited availability, only one scholarship may be awarded per user. BIT has the right to revoke scholarships if we discover incorrect or misleading information was provided by the recipient.

Training & Certification

Scholarships, grants, and discounted training and certification programs.

Job Seekers

Career placement, apprenticeship, and professional development tools.

Startups & Entrepreneurs

Programs and tools for the needs of Black tech founders.

Executive Programs

Programs for senior leaders and C-suite executives.

Freelance & Competitions

Freelance projects and sponsored competitions.

Charity & Giving

Charitable giving programs co-sponsored by BIT.

Mentorship & Volunteerism

Opportunities to give back through mentorship and volunteering.

Resources & Tools

Career development interactive tools and resources.

Training & Certification

Fortinet: Cybersecurity NSE Training Institute Certification Program
Audience: Beginners to Advanced
Requirements: None
Cost: $0 | Value $400

The Fortinet Training Institute provides certification and training in the growing field of cybersecurity. The program includes a wide range of self-paced, instructor-led, and virtual instructor-led training, as well as practical, experiential exercises that demonstrate mastery of complex network security concepts. Book one of our scheduled classes or sign up for custom learning for your organization.

Get NSE Certified: Eight Levels of Cybersecurity Certification

  • Cybersecurity Awareness Certification NSE 1-3
  • Cybersecurity Technical Certification NSE 4

Cohort 1 Application Close March 31, 2023

Fortinet
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Do you have IT Networking experience?

Uvaro: Tech Sales Bootcamp
Audience: Aspiring Technical Sales Associates
Requirements: None
Cost: $0 | Value $5,000

The Blacks In Technology Foundation, OneTen, and Uvaro have partnered to promote career success for Black talent entering tech sales by sponsoring memberships to Uvaro’s Career Success program. Job-specific training and 24 months of career support provided.

Transforming Lives. Building Great Careers in Tech Sales. 

The tech industry offers some of the fastest-growing and in-demand employment opportunities today, but these opportunities have been unequal and exclusionary—especially for people of color and people without 4-year degrees.

BIT knows that the best way to reduce inequality, drive better employment outcomes, and grow your career is with job-specific training. With this partnership, BIT and OneTen members will gain sponsored access at no cost to Uvaro’s catalog of rapid upskilling courses for sales and customers success roles, workshops, on-demand training, and 24 months of career support — all designed to help you advance your career in tech.

Tech Sales Foundations (12 Week) 

For 12 weeks, 2hrs daily, seasoned instructors will work with your cohort to teach all the skills needed for a successful career in B2B tech sales. You’ll also get 5+ hours of guided independent study with cutting-edge tools.

You’ll have the skills and tools you need to dive into a Business Development Rep, Sales Development Rep, or Jr. Account Executive role with confidence.

Course Dates: 

  • April 24 – July 14 from 6pm – 8pm EST

Apply here

Product Teacher: Product Manager Resume Course
Audience: Aspiring Product Managers, Experienced Product Managers, and Transitional Workers
Requirements: None
Cost: $0 | Value $25

If you are a product manager or an aspiring product manager, register for this free self-paced video course to learn how to strengthen your resume and improve your chances of landing a PM interview with a tech company.

This course contains insightful explanations, templates, and examples on how to set up your resume for success. The instructor Clement Kao has served on dozens of PM hiring panels, and he shares behind-the-scenes knowledge on how PM hiring managers decide who to hire and who to reject. Product Teacher has analyzed 1,000+ resumes over the last 5 years, and this resume course has helped PMs get job offers at leading tech companies like Google, Facebook, Redfin, Intuit, Microsoft, and more.

Udacity: Nano-Degree Scholarship Program | Cohort 6 Closed
Audience: United States African American Residents
Requirements: None
Cost: $0 | Value $2,000

The OneTen/BIT Scholarship Program aims to help eager learners looking to advance their skills in business analytics, digital marketing, or front end web development and prepare them for a high-paying tech job—or to start a business of their own.

No bachelor’s degree? No problem. If you’re a Black job-seeker with an interest in tech who doesn’t have a 4-year degree, this scholarship program is for you.

OneTen, the Blacks In Technology Foundation, and Udacity are partnering to award students with scholarships in 2023. Learn valuable skills—online and at your own pace—to open new career opportunities in the lucrative fields of business analytics, digital marketing, or front end web development.

Cohort 6 Nano-Degrees Offered

  • Business Analytics
  • Digital Marketing
  • Frontend Web Development Fundamentals

Alumni Benefits

  • 72% of Udacity graduates who signed up with the intention of advancing their career landed a new job, a promotion, or received a raise
  • 50% of Udacity graduates who signed up with the intention of advancing their career received a median pay increase of 33%

The quality curriculum is designed with top-tier industry partners, not academics, so you learn the high-impact skills that top companies want.

Learn by doing with real-world projects and other hands-on exercises that lead to real skills mastery.

Self-paced learning – whenever and wherever you want. Graduate while learning part-time for 10 hrs/week.

Reach out to our mentors 24/7 and have your coding questions answered quickly so you can keep learning.

Program: SplunkWorks+ Training
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

As part of the $100 million Splunk Pledge, we have committed to supporting efforts to train the workforce of tomorrow, equipping you with the Splunk skills to position you for the opportunities of today.

The SplunkWork+ community you are about to join is for those participating in programs provided by Upwardly Global and requires that you register with an email address issued by Upwardly Global. Through this partnership, you will have access to award-winning eLearning courses that will help prepare you for cutting-edge jobs that are available right now with companies around the world.

These skills are in demand at leading companies around the world. More than 17,000 customers in over 110 countries use Splunk solutions, including 90 of the Fortune 100. Join millions of passionate users by signing up now!

Download the Splunk Certification Candidate Handbook

Register now to view more than 13,660 Splunk jobs and get started today! Certifications will be awarded on a monthly basis.

Program: Michael Management Unlimited SAP Training Subscription
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Cost: $1,599 | BIT Cost $300

Unlimited access to all courses for 12 months. Hands-on courses help you learn SAP quickly with a true learning-by-doing experience.

Skill assessments, quizzes and exams help you measure your own progress over time.

Career paths guide you to master the profession of your choice. Renews annually. Membership includes:

    • Unlimited access to entire SAP course library
    • 50+ Learning Paths
    • 30+ Skill Assessments
    • Cloud-based learning platform
    • Final certification exams
Michael Management SAP Training

Program: PreSales Academy Bootcamp
Audience: Technical Sales Career Seekers
Requirements: None
Cost: $8,000 | Value $10,000

The PreSales Academy is the best way to start a career in PreSales.

  • 10 week intensive program
  • Live instruction, group, and self-paced activities
  • Fast-tracked hiring with partner companies
  • Certificate of completion

$90K = average starting compensation*

$150K = avg. compensation 1-5 years experience*

*per LinkedIn Salaries

Low Risk Program​:
​
You have the option to pay $0 tuition until you have a job earning $70,000 or more. We have flexible payment options that are aimed at helping you launch your PreSales career debt-free. 

BIT will reimburse up to $2,000 in tuition upon completion of the program.

Program: Google Professional Certificates
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Cost: $0 | Value $300

Google Career Certificates provide people with access to in-demand jobs through rapid reskilling without the need for
a college degree or prior experience in the fields of IT support, data analytics, project management, and user experience
(UX) design. 

These certificates were developed and taught by Google employees, and are hands-on, practical, and rigorous. They can be completed in under six months part-time.

75% of Google IT Support Professional Certificate completers in the U.S. report a positive career outcome like a new job, enhanced skills, promotion, or raise within 6 months.

Certificates Include:

Google Career Certificates are now available for college credit at select universities! These online courses offer accessible pathways to careers in high-growth fields for job seekers of all experience levels.

Google Certification
Certificate Program of Interest

Program: LinkedIn Learning Skills Training
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

Learn relevant skills for jobs in-demand

Start developing your skills for free with learning paths from LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Learn, then practice tech skills in the GitHub Learning Lab.

Specializations Include:

  • Software Developer
  • Sales Representative
  • Project Manager
  • IT Administrator
  • Customer Service Specialist
  • Digital Marketer
  • IT Support/Help Desk
  • Data Analyst
  • Financial Analyst
  • Graphic Designer

Click here to learn more.

Program: Linux Foundation Scholarship Program
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

Blacks In Technology and the Linux Foundation have partnered to offer free Linux training and certifications vouchers. A value up to $500.

All training and certification testing is available online. The certifications supported include:

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

If you are interested in receiving a voucher for certification, please be advised that Intermediate and Advanced certifications require current practitioner level knowledge of Linux. Certifications may take 4-6 months to complete. 

Applications will reopen soon

Program: SAFe Certification Training & Certifications
Audience: Managers and Executives
Requirements: None
BIT Member Cost: $80

The Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) is a system for implementing Agile, Lean, and DevOps practices at scale. The Scaled Agile Framework is the most popular framework for leading enterprises because it works: it’s trusted, customizable, and sustainable.

Agile Big Picture is a Scaled Agile Inc, Gold SPCT Partner. They provide effective, engaging remote training for all Scaled Agile courses and teach the complete SAFe® catalog of trainings.

Trainings are 2 day, instructor led classes. and are limited to 2-3 BIT members per class per month for the scholarship. 

Additionally you can can receive a 20% discount for SAFe training directly from Agile Big Picture if you prefer not to apply for the scholarship by using the code: BLACKSINTECH20 

Certification class offerings are below:

IMPLEMENTING SAFE

During Implementing SAFe, attendees will learn how to lead a Lean-Agile transformation by leveraging the practices and principles of the Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) to achieve Business Agility in the Digital Age.

Certifying as a SAFe® 5 Program Consultant (SPC), and becoming a change agent, also enables attendees to train and certify others in a range of SAFe® courses.

The first half of the course—Leading SAFe®—covers the SAFe Principles, and the Team and Technical Agility, Agile Product Delivery and Lean Portfolio Management core competencies. The final half will focus exclusively on what it takes to successfully implement SAFe in the Enterprise, following the SAFe® Implementation Roadmap.

LEADING SAFE

During this two-day course, attendees learn the importance of mastering Business Agility in order to thrive in the digital age and gain insights they can use to lead a Lean-Agile enterprise by leveraging the Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®).

The course begins by exploring the SAFe principles, derived from Lean product development, Agile development, DevOps and systems thinking. Following this, the attendees will discuss how to establish Team and Technical Agility and organize around the flow of value. The course then focuses on the importance of adopting a customer-centric mindset and applying Design Thinking as part of the Agile Product Delivery core competency, and provides an opportunity to experience a PI Planning event.

SAFe for TEAMS

Build the skills needed to become a high-performing team member on an Agile Release Train (ART)—and learn how to collaborate effectively with other teams—by becoming a SAFe® 5 Practitioner (SP). During this two-day course, attendees gain an in-depth understanding of the qualities of high-performing Agile Teams, the ART and how it delivers value, and what they can do to effectively perform their role using Scrum, Kanban, and XP.

SAFe LEAN PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

SAFe® Lean Portfolio Management is a two-day interactive course that includes an optional one-day “Getting Started with LPM” workshop. In this course, attendees will gain the practical tools and techniques necessary to implement the Lean Portfolio Management functions of Strategy and Investment Funding, Agile Portfolio Operations, and Lean Governance.

SAFe PRODUCT OWNER, PRODUCT MANAGER

Develop the skillsets needed to guide the delivery of value in a Lean enterprise by becoming a SAFe® 5 Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM). During this two-day course, attendees gain an in-depth understanding of how to effectively perform their role in the Agile Release Train (ART) as it delivers value through Program Increments.

Attendees explore how to apply Lean thinking to decompose Epics into Features and Stories, refine Features and Stories, manage Program and Team backlogs, and to plan and execute Iterations and Program Increments. Attendees also discover how the Continuous Delivery Pipeline and DevOps culture contribute to the relentless improvement of the ART.

List any Lean, Agile or related certifications you've earned.
Month(s) of Interest

Select the month(s) of your preferred training dates.
Course of Interest

Program: ITIL 4 & PRINCE2 Training Certification
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Cost: Starting at $349

The ITIL Foundation certification is an entry-level exam that certifies your knowledge in the ITIL framework. From the foundation level, you can move on to the ITIL 4 Managing Professional, ITIL 4 Strategic Leader and Master levels of certification. The Foundation exam covers the basics of ITIL 4 and is designed for those who want to gain a basic understanding of the IT service management framework. The certification will test your knowledge of the guiding principles of ITIL 4, key concepts from Lean, Agile, DevOps and Service Management and how ITIL 4 practices can be applied in service management and IT.

ITIL Foundation Annual Salary ($88,108 Avg | Nov 2020)

PRINCE2 is a process-based method for effective project management, and will give you the fundamental skills you need to become a successful project manager. It stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments, and is used and recognized all over the world. (Alternative to PMP)

Each course comes with the following:

  • High-quality, on-demand videos
  • Downloadable PDF study guide
  • Practice quizzes after each section of the course
  • Multiple practice exams at the end of the course
  • Certification exam voucher (for testing online with PeopleCert’s web proctoring service)
  • 100% Pass Guarantee (If the student buys the course, completes it within 60 days, and then fails their official exam – we buy their retake voucher)
  • All courses can be bought/taken at any time, 24 hours a day. Within minutes of purchase, the students are automatically enrolled and ready to begin their online courses.

Program: Applying Professional Scrum (APS) Certification
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Cost: $700

Applying Professional Scrum (APS) is a hands-on course that provides the foundational knowledge needed to work with Scrum in a highly practical way. The course is a combination of instruction and team-based exercises. During the exercises, you will work in Scrum Teams over a series of Sprints to learn Scrum while using Scrum. You will experience first-hand how the Scrum framework improves the ability to deliver value compared to traditional methods.

A Scrum.Org certified and experienced trainer will lead the class.

After class, you are a step closer to certification. Students will receive a complementary voucher to take the Scrum.org certification exam.

Scott Adams

Program: Professional Scrum Master (PSM) Certification
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Cost: Starting at $1,095

Scott Adams is the founder of Agile Sphere Consulting which exists out of a commitment to support equality and diversity in the workplace through world-class training, where all people contribute at their fullest potential and deliver extraordinary value. He is a change agent, an agilist, coach, and instructor with over 20 years of experience across several industries.
 
Scott is a Grand Scrum Master, a servant-leader that goes beyond the scrum team and the greater organization to extend his reach into communities world-wide providing opportunities to become agile/scrum practitioners or to improve current skills. He is attuned to the specific challenges of minorities and is steadfast in his dedication to encourage and unlock the impact of minorities—as individuals, team members, and leaders of organizations.
 
Cohorts are virtual and recurring.

Program: Network Pass provided by INE
Audience: 18-24 years old
Requirements: High School Graduate
Cost: $0

Blacks in Technology and Star Dot Engineer Foundation teamed up to provide BIT members with free Network training provided by INE.com for Cisco CCNA.

Star Dot Engineer Foundation is committed to providing continuing education to recent high school graduates, who are underprivileged minority students that are unable to attend a university or college but wish to achieve certifications in the field of Information Technology.

Star Dot Engineer Foundation will provide online or in person certification training classes from a technology provider and assign each student a technology mentor to assist them in achieving their IT certification.

Register here to earn a Cisco CCNA certification. Seats are limited.

Meta Elevate Scholarship
Audience: All
Requirements: Pass Assessment
Regular Cost: $99 | BIT Cost: $0

To support underrepresented communities, Meta Elevate is providing scholarships to Black learners working towards certification in digital skills and software engineering. As part of this effort, we’re awarding 100,000 scholarships to Black learners in the United States working towards a digital skills and software engineering certification through our Meta Career Programs.

The following Professional Certificate programs hosted on Coursera are offered through the Elevate scholarship:

  • Social Media Marketing Professional Certification
  • Marketing Analytics Professional Certification
  • Front-End and Back-End Developer Certificates
  • iOS and Android Developer Certificates
  • Database Engineer Certificate (coming soon)

The courses are self-paced and entirely online, so you can learn from anywhere at any time.

Once you earn a Meta Certificate, you’ll gain access to 250+ companies looking to hire skilled talent through the Meta Career Programs Job Board. Employment opportunities include jobs at Meta, BBDO, Havas Media, GroupM and more.

Eligibility Requirements are as follows:

  • Applicants must self-identify as Black learners
  • Applicants must reside in the US or its territories

Job Seekers

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Karat: Interview Prep
Audience: Software Engineers
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

You are not here by accident. Brilliant Black Minds is here to help bring your talents and drive to unlock opportunity in the tech industry.

Join the network. Connect with mentors. Join study sessions. Take free practice interviews and qualify for job opportunities with our corporate Partners of Brilliance.

Join today for free.

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Cisco: Talent Bridge Matching Engine
Audience: Technical Job Seekers
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

The Talent Bridge program addresses the tech skills gap with a holistic approach by connecting Cisco and partner employers to qualified candidates.

We support employers throughout their employee lifecycle and prepare talent to join the workforce. Our Talent Bridge Matching Engine automates the connection between employers and job seekers at no cost.

BIT members apply for Cisco Talent Bridge here.

Apply for free Cisco Skills for All training here.

COOP Careers Employment Assistance Program
Audience: Recent College Graduates
Cost: $0

COOP Careers mission is to overcome underemployment through digital skills and peer connections. Recent college grads learn digital skills, build community, and pursue full-time offers in:

  • Digital Marketing
  • Data Analytics
  • Tech Sales

Must be located in one of the following cities:

  • Chicago
  • Los Angeles
  • New York City
  • San Francisco
  • San Jose

Candidates must meet all of the criteria below:

  • You’ve earned your bachelor’s degree within the last 10 years and will have it before the first day of program

  • You are unemployed (and legally authorized to work in U.S.) or underemployed (meaning your current job description does not require a bachelor’s degree)

  • You earn less than $50,000 per year

  • You are a U.S. citizen or legally authorized to work in the U.S. (ie. permanent resident, employment authorization, DACA recipient)

  • You must be at least 21 years of age by the first day of program

  • You must be available four evenings per week (M-Th) for the duration of the program

In addition, candidates should also identify with at least one of these criteria:

  • First-generation college grad: You (or a sibling) are the first in your immediate family to earn a bachelor’s degree in the United States

  • Financial aid recipient: You qualified for public financial aid during most or all of college (examples include federal Pell Grants; TAP and SEEK grants in New York; MAP Grant in Illinois; or Cal Grants in California)

Register here

Skilled: Resume & Interview Prep
Audience: Job Seekers
Requirements: None
Cost: $99-$599 | BIT Cost: $0

Skilled is the official career services resources for BIT members. We realize that interviewing is tough. It’s supposed to be. But when you don’t get a job, you often don’t know why. That’s where we come in.

After helping you practice for job interviews we give you a Skilled Certified report card. It sums up your strengths and weaknesses, and helps you apply to jobs. If you need extra practice our mentors can help transform you into an interviewing ninja.

Hour-long practice interviews
We help you get ready for that big interview by connecting you with an industry expert. Our mentors are world-class in their field and know how to build solid teams. Their targeted questions will test your chops during our hour-long, practice interviews.
 
Skilled Certified feedback
After each interview, you receive a Skilled Certified report card with detailed, written feedback. You learn what you did well, and where your weak spots lie. You also learn about resources we’ve built that will better prepare you for your next interviews. Think of your Skilled Certified report card as a cover letter, but better. A report card from us is our stamp of approval that you’ve been vetted by experts in your field. Job seekers with passing report cards can apply for jobs on Skilled Referrals.
 
Interview Bootcamp
Interviewing is a skill and sometimes you need a lot of practice to get good at it. Skilled offers a 4 week remote bootcamp led by world class mentors. This intensive curriculum prepares job seekers in core interview fundamentals, and introduces top performers to companies hiring.
 
Mentorship
Want to spend time reviewing your feedback? Need help with your resume or even career advice? Re-book your mentor for additional mentorship!
Skilled
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Service of Interest

Breakline Apex: Job Placement & Soft Skills Training
Audience: Job Seekers
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

Apply here.

BreakLine provides education and coaching for exceptional, high-performing veterans, women, and people of color who are interested in pivoting into the tech industry. The virtual month-long program is designed to help you successfully land a compelling role in tech and build your professional network.

BreakLine admits a new cohort of participants from across the U.S. every week!

During the program, you will attend 4 – 6 hours of programming a week alongside a cohort of peers. Sessions include hands-on workshops, in-depth discussions with industry leaders, and an inside look at top tech companies.

You will also work closely with their team of experts to build a pipeline of opportunities across their partner companies. The BreakLine team will guide you through the entire process, from resume reviews, to sourcing relevant roles, to interview prep, until you land and accept a position.

Breakline works with over 65 of the most innovative and fast-growing companies across the industry, helping place talent in both technical and non-technical roles.

aws

AWS Tech U Apprenticeship Program
Audience: Job Seekers
Requirements: See below
Pay: Variable

AWS Tech U offers an accelerated approach to career on-boarding for several technical roles within AWS

AWS Tech U is a 48-week residency program for a select group of new AWS employees. Residents have the opportunity to participate in project-based learning, creative real-world problem solving, and on-the-job training. Supported and supervised by AWS experts, this residency program offers these new AWS professionals time and space to develop technical expertise in AWS Cloud computing. They are also taught the soft skills required to launch a successful career. AWS Tech U graduates are prepared to serve as solutions architects, technical trainers, and professional services consultant roles within AWS.

Program Benefits:

  • Paid on-the-job training as a full-time employee
  • Project-based learning and professional development
  • Mentorship and support from AWS experts
  • Real-world problem solving

About the Curriculum:

The AWS Tech U curriculum is designed to help participants develop technical expertise in cloud computing and prepare them for various roles within Amazon Web Services (AWS). Over approximately 24 weeks of technical and professional development, it is delivered through a mix of digital and classroom training, hands-on labs, and project work.

The project-based portion of the curriculum includes eight two-week sprints, with each sprint focused on a simulated customer scenario in the following domains:

  • Highly Available Web Apps
  • Media & Entertainment
  • Migrations & Hybrid Apps
  • Big Data
  • Enterprise Applications
  • IoT and AI
  • Microservices
  • Security, Governance & Compliance

There are two weeks of fundamentals training at the start of the program, a midpoint meetup, and a week at the end of the program for assessments and capstone projects.

Strategio Apprenticeship Scholarship
Audience: Job Seekers
Requirements: See below
Pay: $5,000

Strategio is dedicated to improving diversity, equity and inclusion for underserved and underrepresented groups in Enterprise IT. They hire STEM graduates with no prior work experience, pay them to train and give them long-term job opportunities at high-growth tech companies and Fortune 500 customers.
 
 
Strategio Scholarship: 
We pay you $5,000 to train. Technology talent should come from all backgrounds, regardless of their financial situation. You might come from a single-parent home, a low-income community or simply have a cloud of student debt waiting for you after university. By investing in you, we believe we are investing in the future of technology.
 
The Strategio Simulator replicates the enterprise technology environment of industry leading companies. We offer STEM graduates 8-weeks technology training before starting 1-2 year job placements using the most in-demand skills. Competitive starting salaries, full health/dental/vision benefits and access to the Strategio Community. Strategio also pays an additional $5,000 if you need to relocate to a work location that isn’t commutable from your home address.
 
  • Sectors we cover:
  • Cloud & DevOps
  • Software Engineering
  • Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)
  • Cybersecurity Engineering
  • Data Science

Apprenti: Technical Apprenticeship Program
Audience: Job Seekers
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

Apprenti’s unique apprenticeship program puts you on a straightforward, step-by-step fast track toward your dream job. The tech industry is seeking to diversify its workforce, so Apprenti is actively recruiting women, people of color, and veterans.

About the Apprenti Program | PDF
Apply to be an Apprenti Apprentice

Current Occupations & Training

  • Cloud Operations Specialist 1 and 2
  • Network Security Administrator
  • CRM/CMS Developer
  • Software Developer or Software Analyst
  • Cybersecurity Analyst
  • Systems Administrator
  • Technical Sales Specialist
  • Data Center Technician/ IT Support
  • Network Operations Developer (DevOps)
  • IT Business Analyst

6 Steps to a Tech Apprenticeship

Program: Multiverse Apprenticeship Program
Audience: Technical Job Seekers US
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

This program is designed as an alternative to college or an opportunity during a gap year; for folks who want to work in tech in areas such as Data Science, Digital Marketing, Software Engineering and Business Analysis. They are looking for folks who are strong problem-solvers, have robust communication skills, and who are detail-oriented and passionate about learning and working in tech. The skills learned in this program are key in many industries–from business, to finance, education…essentially ANY industry or career that requires the use of data to drive decision-making (which is most these days!). It’s a skillset that will set you above the pack regardless of what field you want to go into. And best of all, upon completion of this program you’ll earn a certified qualification and at least a year’s worth of industry experience.

HOW DO I APPLY?

You’ll need to create a digital profile first and a member of their team will reach out to help you make sure your profile is top notch for employers to see. After that, you’ll enter their approved talent pool and Multiverse  staff can help you with interview prep and other supports to ensure you get hired for an apprenticeship.

REQUIREMENTS:

  • High school diploma
  • 18+ 
  • Must be open to a full-time work schedule for minimum of 12 months 
  • Must be eligible to work in the US
create_opportunity

Program: Create Opportunity Apprenticeship Program
Audience: Technical Job Seekers Charlotte, NC & Columbia, SC
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

Create Opportunity is an initiative that increases the supply of high-demand software engineers through a screening, training and apprenticeship model designed for individuals from diverse, non-technical backgrounds. Learners are trained to be full-stack developers. 

Individuals that successfully complete the apprenticeship emerge as qualified software engineers ready to work in an enterprise development environment. At this point, the engineer’s salary should be equivalent to market rate for a mid-level developer with 2-3 years of experience, and they should be highly upwardly mobile.

The form below will redirect you to the 

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Program: Creating Coding Careers Paid Apprenticeship Program
Audience: Technical Job Seekers
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

Creating Coding Careers (CCC) works in under resourced communities to discover and recruit talent across the nation. Candidates complete a three month pre-apprenticeship learning phase to prepare for our DOL Registered Apprenticeship.

Apprentices spend a year learning along side experienced software engineers working on real world projects for real clients. The CCC team matches grads with companies looking for high performing early career engineers for permanent positions.

Candidates admitted into the program will earn a living wage for 12-months while they train for a career as a Software Developer, QA Automation Engineer, Agile SCRUM Product Owner, or Data Engineer.
 
For more information check out out https://cccareers.org/

Program: Hired for Blacks In Technology
Audience: Technical Job Seekers
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

BIT has partnered with Hired, the US and UK’s largest software engineering job platform, to help engineers find a job they’ll love. Hired uses intelligent job matching algorithms to reduce hiring bias by focusing on the candidate’s skills and preferences. Upload your resume here to signup and companies will apply to interview you, with salary and compensation shown upfront. Make sure to mark “open to remote” to increase your chances of landing interviews from their many companies US-wide, including many Fortune 50 companies.In NYC, Hired has many local companies hiring immediately including Coinbase, Citi, Peloton, Audible, and more. Hired’s focus is on finding engineers jobs, but they often have other tech roles including Product Manager, UI/UX Design, and others. Sign up here: https://hired.com/blacksintechnology

Startups & Entrepreneurs

Program: Techstars Executive Coaching Program
Audience: Entrepreneurs
Requirements: None

Techstars Access program and the Techstars Foundation has relationships with two coaching organizations – Hudson Institute and Evolution Coaching. 

If you are a founder interested in receiving executive coaching, please complete the Interest Form here. 

We’ll then share their information with coaches who will reach out directly to the entrepreneurs for an introduction session. This process may take a few weeks, so please know there won’t be an immediate response. Based on the intro session both the entrepreneur and the coach will decide if there’s a good fit. If not we will try to find another match. 

Program: Expert Dojo Startup Accelerator Program
Audience: Entrepreneurs
Requirements: None
Funding: $25,000 (if accepted)

Expert Dojo is an International Early-Stage Startup Accelerator.
Join our 8-week program and let us help you with investment, scaling, growth hacking, branding, marketing and more.

Our 8 pillars of success are a proven formula to help you grow your business quicker than otherwise possible. We partner with the top growth-hackers and marketing companies in the US to provide you with a proven roadmap to success.

Expert Dojo has established relationships with thousands of Institutional and Accredited Investors. Participating startups will have the opportunity to accelerate their companies’ growth in a short period of time.

Program: Black Founders Scholarships
Audience: Entrepreneurs
Requirements: None
Funding: $25,000 (if accepted)

Our partner StartOut is offering 12-month scholarships for Black LGBTQ+ founders to help pay for the resources every business leader needs to succeed. Generously sponsored by Google, these scholarships are offered on a first come, first serve basis and are awarded on a rolling basis. 

Resources are designed to support LGBTQ+ founders at various company stages. This includes:

  • Aspiring founders who are developing their ideas
  • Solo-founders or teams developing scalable solutions
  • Founders open to building an enduring business in a number of different ways, whether through bootstrapping, funding, or otherwise
  • Founders of established companies (our network of accredited investors range from angel/pre-seed to Series D+)
  • StartOut supports any businesses that can scale. StartOut is not industry-specific.
  • Service-related businesses (one on one coaching businesses, consulting companies, single brick & mortar establishments, etc.) that are not scalable are not a good fit for our programs. 

Eligibility criteria:

  • At least one founder must identify as LGBTQ+
  • You work at least part-time on your startup
  • You are developing a scalable solution (product or service) to address a large market ($500 million or more)
  • You are able to identify specific and critical milestones that you can realistically achieve in the next twelve months
  • Remark: Service-related businesses will only be eligible for our community resources and Expert Office hours

Learn more and apply by completing the form below:

Program: Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Tools
Audience: Entrepreneurs
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

We are delighted to offer the Blacks in Technology Foundation an exclusive one-year license for the organization’s members or clients to build and maintain their cybersecurity risk management program with Posture.

This platform can assess your current risk level and cyber program requirements and provide you with a simple step-by-step strategy. It can easily track your organization’s improvements toward reducing risks and building a cyber risk program that meets the most common buyer requirements.

Apply here: https://www.postured.io/partner/bit/

Program: Tech for Black Founders
Audience: Entrepreneurs
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

Today, only 1% of founders backed by venture capital in the United States are Black. This is appalling and shows how the odds are stacked against Black technologists and entrepreneurs. The onus is on us in the tech community to start evening the odds. In an effort to provide concrete, long-lasting support, companies came together to make their software completely free to U.S.-based, early-stage startups led by Black founders. The criteria is that companies are U.S.-based and led by one or more Black founders, that have raised less than $30M in venture capital, and have fewer than 150 employees. There are currently 26 participating companies representing over $75,000 in free software. For more information and a list of the participating companies, click the link below: https://www.notion.so/TechforBlackFounders-ced8852e37514bcaac6a82bec9dc8087

Program: Global Silicon Valley (GSV) Black Startup Collective Passport
Audience: Entrepreneurs
Requirements: None
Cost: $0

As a member of BIT and the Black Startup Collective, you have access to a free 1 year membership to GSV Passport. Passport provides access to much needed startup resources as well as significant savings across multiple categories, like cloud computing, video conferencing, payments, CRM, sales tools and much more. Receive over $800k in free and discounted services.

To claim your free year of Passport click the link below:
https://onevalley.typeform.com/to/AU8QdeJb?typeform-source=gsvlabs.typeform.com

Executive Programs

Program: Publish Don't Perish Program
Audience: Senior Subject Matter Experts
Requirements: Proven Subject Matter Expert
Cost: $0

Senior Black technologists are wanted to write technical books which will be published via O’Reilly publishing. O’Reilly will provide writing and copy editing resources and guide you through the writing process. The only pre-requisite is that you have to be able to demonstrate your expertise in a particular subject area. 

If you are considering writing a book or would like to know more information, contact Dennis Schultz at dschultz_ny@blacksintechnology.net.

Program: Pathway to the Board Room
Audience: Senior Executives
Requirements: SVP & C-Level Executive Experience
Cost: $0

BIT is partnering with a large, technology focused, private equity firm that is seeking to help diversify the boards of its 95 portfolio companies with Black talent. They are seeking “board ready” talent to fill open board seats. BIT is also co-developing a program for senior executives to prepare them for board readiness in 1-5 years.  

The private equity firm will be disclosed to those who apply. If you feel you are board ready or would like to become board ready, contact Dennis Schultz at dennis@blacksintechnology.org

Freelance & Competitions

Program: Udemy Instructor
Audience: Subject Matter Experts
Requirements: 2+ years of experience
Payment: Revenue Share

Calling all tech experts! Udemy is looking for instructors to teach online courses in tech.

About Udemy
Udemy is an online learning platform that reaches 40m+ students globally and 7k+ enterprise customers from companies like Adidas, Survey Monkey and Lyft through their Udemy for Business platform.

More Diversity in Tech
In an effort to push for diversity and inclusion, Udemy is looking to partner with tech experts to create courses that celebrate and increase the visibility of underrepresented groups in tech. This is an amazing opportunity to represent Blacks In Technology on a global level by turning what you know into an opportunity to reach millions around the world. Don’t worry if you’ve never taught before – Udemy will help you through the process.

High Priority Courses

  • Threat Modeling
  • Cybersecurity Red Team/Blue
  • Team/Purple Team
  • Vulnerability Management
  • SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
  • Information Security
  • Kali Linux (Intermediate or Advanced)
  • Microsoft Bitlocker
  • Adobe Experience Manager
  • Microservices Security
  • Spring Batch
  • Magento 2
  • NestJS
Do You Have What It Takes?
Udemy is currently looking for instructors in the following topic areas below. If you’re interested please submit the form below.
Udemy Instructor Request

Program: Network World Blogger
Audience: Network Administrators/Managers
Requirements: 10 years of networking experience
Payment: $500 per post

Network World magazine is looking for a blogger to write about networking issues from a hands-on perspective that would be of interest to network and systems admins and architects. Bloggers will be paid $500 per post of 750-1,000 words. If anyone is interested in being published, contact dennis@blacksintechnology.org

Mentorship & Volunteerism

Program: Convergence - BIT's Official Mentorship Program
Audience: Technology Professionals
Requirements: None
Type: Volunteer

The Convergence Mentorship leadership team, mentors, sponsors, and supporters are comprised of a coalition of like-minded professionals in the technology industry representing a cross section of IT and business disciplines developed as a venture the Blacks In Technology Foundation.

Subject matter experts from Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Google, MIT Enterprise Forum, Nutanix, and others are represented in the inaugural cohort of the program. 

Click here to become a mentor or to find a mentor.

Program: GMI Mentorship Opportunity (Find A Mentor)
Audience: College Students
Requirements: None
Type: Volunteer

The Blacks In Technology Foundation has partnered with GMI to prepare college students around the world for success in their job search by providing them with the tools and guidance needed to be successful. This is accomplished through a structured, online, short-term, one to one mentorship with a business professional. 

GMI mentorship guides students to:

  • Establish a professional business network using LinkedIn
  • Develop soft skills to excel in business
  • Improve communication skills for a global business environment
  • Create a career plan and set measurable goals
  • Build a resume/CV that gets noticed by job recruiters
  • Leverage templates and guides for conducting a job search
  • Master the job interview process with confidence
  • Distinguish themselves in their first job

Get full details and apply here.

Program: GMI Mentorship Opportunity (Become A Mentor)
Audience: IT Professionals
Requirements: None
Type: Volunteer

BIT is very glad to partner with Global Mentorship Initiative (GMI) to bring volunteer mentoring opportunities to our members.  It’s a great way to give back in a structured, short-term, online mentorship that will make a real difference to a student in the US or around the world.

GMI was created from the Rockefeller Foundation’s Digital Jobs Initiative to provide guidance and business skills to underserved college students and refugees in a way that makes it easy for you to be a great mentor without a significant time commitment.  They have over 2,000 students and refugees in 50 countries and partner with 30 colleges and youth associations.  Their program is growing faster than expected as more colleges ask to enroll their students.  For the first time, they have significantly more students than mentors and need 500 new mentors within the next 90 days to support current demand.  There’s no cost to be a GMI mentor.

They have so many wonderful stories from students who share how GMI has literally changed their outlook for a career and provided hope for a brighter future.  I encourage you to watch the four-minute GMI video here to learn more.  In the attached PDF you will find more details and testimonials from students and mentors about their GMI experience.

Mentors meet with their student for 14 one-hour online sessions usually once a week.  After this, the mentorship is concluded, and you will have made a huge impact for someone just getting started in life.

Learn more about being a mentor and sign up here: https://globalmentorship.org/bit/

Together we can make a difference!

Program: BIT Idea Accelerator Cohort #1
Audience: Pre-Revenue Startup Founders
Requirements: Products or services in the idea phase
Type: Virtual Bootcamp

Startup founders in the idea and pre-revenue phase, we want you. This initiative addresses the following: founder mindset, scalable business model design, pre-accelerator training, mentoring, networking, and connecting founders to funding opportunities.

It’s important for us to make sure that our BIT startup founders have access to the knowledge they need to build successful high-tech businesses. Through this program our startup founders will develop the proper mindset and learn the best practices for building a startup before investing years of time and large sums of money in a startup idea. It’s free to join. 

Cohort 1 Dates: February 20 – March 16
Application Deadline: February 15

Apply here.

Charity & Giving

Program: Computers and Low-Cost Internet
Audience: Low Income Individuals
Requirements: Below the 200% Poverty Level
Program Type: Charity

Eligibility Requirements

Shop Computers and Internet Access

PCs for People refurbishes desktop and laptop computers for distribution to eligible recipients. As a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher, we are able to provide computers with licensed copies of Windows 10. We also have more economical machines that include Linux or LibreOffice. Every desktop includes a mouse, a keyboard, power cords and monitor cords at no additional cost. Monitors, accessories, hardware upgrades and additional software (such as licensed Microsoft Office) are available for an additional fee.

In addition to computers, PCs for People offers high speed 4G LTE internet service for as low as $15 per month. Plans are prepaid with no credit check or hidden fees. An internet service purchase includes, a wireless LTE modem, service (various plans available) and unlimited 4G LTE service. You can visit our office to purchase a device or purchase it online and receive the device within 3-5 business days.

Program: Affordable Connectivity Program
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Program Type: Government

Emergency Broadband Benefit recipients fully enrolled as of December 31, 2021 will automatically continue to receive their current monthly benefit until March 1, 2022. You can learn more about the program transition and steps you may need to take to stay enrolled after March 1st, by visiting fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.

About the Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Who Is Eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program?

A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

  • Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
  • Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
  • Participates in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income internet program.

Enroll here.

Program: Tech Conference Travel Fund
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Program Type: Charity

The Blacks In Technology Foundation and The Linux Foundation have teamed up to provide travel subsidies for BIT members that may need financial assistance to attend technical conferences. If you are requiring financial assistance, contact us at

bit-foundation@blacksintechnology.net.

First Tech Fund

Program: First Tech Fund NYC
Audience: All
Requirements: None
Program Type: Giving

First Tech Fund is committed to closing the digital divide in NYC by providing high school aged Fellows with a personal computer as well as a mobile hotspot with unlimited data for 1 year. Click here for program details and to donate: https://www.firsttechfund.com/

Tools & Resources

dice

Dice: 2020 Tech Salary Report

Tool: 2020 Tech Salary Report for Technologists Audience: All No matter where you are in your career, arming yourself with comprehensive career intelligence can prove extremely valuable. Therefore, we thought you might be interested in exploring what the hottest skills are worth in 2020! The 2020 Tech Salary Report breaks down the top paying tech skills, locations, certifications, and more to help inform your career path. Download Report PDF

LinkedIn Learning: Basic Computer Training

Tool: Learning the Basics of Computing Audience: Computer Beginners In a series of videos, Microsoft provides a tool for those interested in technology, but have little to no experience with computers. This is a great place to start if you are working with computers for the first time.

Tool: IT Career Path Planning Tool
Audience: Job Seekers

Interested in advancing your career in IT? Plan Your Next Move with CompTIA's IT career path planning tool.

Tool: Calculate Your Potential IT Salary
Audience: Job Seekers

Today's information technology (IT) careers offer an incredible array of opportunity, variety, passion – and of course, earnings potential. As you may expect, there is a range of factors that influence what your IT salary could be, like years of experience, cost of living and regional market value. As you explore IT career path options, use the CompTIA IT Salary Calculator to estimate your salary and know your worth during your job search. The calculator includes salary data from 400 different metro areas, covering 85% of the U.S. population.

To begin, please select your current job (or desired IT occupation), your experience level and a location where you may want to work.

Sample IT Salary Report

Tool: Cybersecurity Career Pathway
Audience: Cybersecurity Job Seekers

There are many opportunities for workers to start and advance their careers within cybersecurity. This interactive career pathway shows key jobs within cybersecurity, common transition opportunities between them, and detailed information about the salaries, credentials, and skillsets associated with each role.

Tool: Cybersecurity Supply/Demand Heat Map
Audience: Cybersecurity Job Seekers

Cybersecurity talent gaps exist across the country. Closing these gaps requires detailed knowledge of the cybersecurity workforce in your region. This interactive heat map provides a granular snapshot of demand and supply data for cybersecurity jobs at the state and metro area levels, and can be used to grasp the challenges and opportunities facing your local cybersecurity workforce.

Tool: Explore Your Tech Landscape
Audience: Cybersecurity Job Seekers

Use this interactive map to explore the tech sector and tech occupations in states and key metro areas across the United States.