Bay Area systems engineer Darren Pham first gained experience in the IT sector through his participation in the training program Year Up. After graduating, Darren Pham was able to secure a position with e-commerce retailer eBay. Year Up was established to address a phenomenon known as the opportunity divide.
The opportunity divide refers to the ratio of skilled workers needed to the number of young people who are not employed. Many of these young people don’t have access to higher education or job training programs due to their backgrounds. Programs such as Year Up close this divide by working with private sector companies and providing highly motivated youth with the skills and experience to excel in the workforce.
Year Up students learn essential technical skills that apply to areas such as customer service and IT. Participants also build competency in in-demand soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and time management.
After six months in the classroom, Year Up participants take on a six-month internship at some of the largest companies in the world, including Accenture, Amazon, and Capital One. According to one program evaluation, more than 80 percent of graduates are gainfully employed after four months of leaving Year Up.
Darren Pham 