Up to 40 people will have the opportunity to take part in an intensive job training program that involves Delaware State University, the City of Wilmington and local businesses.
Delaware’s Department of Labor funded development and implementation of this program, tailored to the needs of local employers such as Alpha Technologies, JP Morgan, Christiana Care, Comcast and more.
Michael Casson is the Director of Delaware State University’s Center for Economic Development and International Trade. He says working with companies directly makes sense.
“So we can then have that pathway back to those same employers, because we’re building them for those same employers in essence," Casson said.
Alpha Technology Project Manager Abhishek Uppal agrees, noting it helps companies too.
“The idea is to hire local talent from all sorts of colleges – from UD to community colleges – and train them in specific technologies according to the market," Uppal said. "What trends are there?”
The program is currently accepting applications.
Denita Thomas, Director of the City of Wilmington’s Small and Minority Business Enterprise Office, says they’re looking for people who are helpful, motivated, willing to learn and ready to work. She adds there are no income requirements.
She says it’s the first time Delaware’s Department of Labor has awarded the city – in partnership with Delaware State University – funds for a workforce training program.
And she expects it will help fill a need in the community.
“When I came to the office of economic development, I noticed we were largely focused on business development but the issue of the workforce kept coming up," Thomas said.
