Generation USA Partners with Center on Rural Innovation to Offer Free Access to Online Training Programs

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Generation USA, a nonprofit organization that transforms education to employment, is excited to announce its partnership with Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), a nonprofit action tank advancing inclusive rural prosperity through digital economy ecosystems that support scalable entrepreneurship and tech job creation to offer its free, bootcamp-style online IT Support Specialist program with the goal to train 50 students living in rural America. In partnership with local community organizations, the program will draw from four rural areas around the country -- Ada, Oklahoma, Durango, Colorado, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and Taos, New Mexico.

"Our four community partners have been working diligently to provide new and accessible opportunities like this for their residents," said Future of Work Talent Lead at CORI, Brett Ellis. "This program fulfills both building a culture of technology and remote work while strengthening connections for students and local communities."

Local organizations -- the Ada Jobs Foundation, The Generator in Pine Bluff, Fort Lewis College, Southwestern Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs, and the University of New Mexico, Taos Hive -- will all work together to help inform their communities and give learners the opportunity to learn more about this free, online job training.

These programs, which are open to anyone seeking to expand their skill set and pursue a career in the technology field, give students opportunities to build and refine the skills needed to excel and launch new careers upon graduation.

Through a comprehensive approach to digital economic development, CORI helps community leaders prove what's possible in rural America. This involves building a nationwide network of local economic change agents; using mapping and data to highlight rural opportunities; making direct investments in underserved rural entrepreneurs; and closing the digital divide so all Americans can participate in the 21st-century digital economy. The organization's intersection of culture and community complements Generation's goal of transforming education to employment systems to prepare, place, and support people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible.

"We're thrilled to partner with CORI on serving a new population of students," said Sean Segal, Generation USA CEO. "With the pandemic-driven surge in remote work, CORI and Generation see a unique opportunity to re-skill rural Americans for the jobs of the future."

This is Generation's first program focused on rural upskilling. In addition to these programs, Generation offers a myriad of online reskilling programs that provide free resources and access to multiple career pathways and full-time employment opportunities in high-demand technology sectors.

The ITSS program takes 12 weeks to complete. For more information on the IT Support Specialist program or to apply by July 1, prospective participants and interested employers can visit the information site here.

Made possible by Verizon, through the Verizon Skill Forward Initiative, investing more than $44 million over several years in Generation to help close the opportunity gap for workers and increase access to digital skills. This initiative is part of Verizon's Citizen Verizon responsible business plan to prepare 500,000 individuals for jobs of the future by 2030.

About Generation

Generation USA is a nonprofit organization that provides free career training, placement, and support to help people find life-changing careers. The global pandemic has led to an unprecedented surge in unemployment -- 375 million workers of all ages needed to learn new skills by 2030. To date, more than 40,000 people have graduated from Generation programs around the world. For more, visit usa.generation.org.

About CORI

The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) is a national nonprofit action tank founded in 2017 to address the dramatic opportunity gap between rural and urban communities that grew out of the Great Recession. CORI is committed to advancing economic prosperity in rural America through the creation of inclusive digital economy ecosystems that support scalable entrepreneurship and tech job creation. For more, visit: ruralinnovation.us

About Citizen Verizon

Citizen Verizon is the company's responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement. Citizen Verizon empowers Verizon to deliver on its mission to move the world forward through action by expanding digital access and resources, protecting the climate, and ensuring people have the skills needed for jobs of the future. Through Citizen Verizon, and the key pillars of Digital Inclusion, Climate Protection and Human Prosperity, the company is committed to providing 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030, supporting 1 million small businesses with resources to help them thrive in the digital economy by 2030, achieving carbon neutrality in its operations by 2035, and preparing 500,000 individuals for jobs of the future by 2030. Learn more at CitizenVerizon.com .

Media contact:
Amy Kauffman
[email protected]

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SOURCE Generation USA