LA-Tech.org & Microsoft Launch a Cyber Security&IT Learning Academy for Under-served Communities within Los Angeles

This program is a coalition of public and private partnerships to address equity in Los Angeles County through digital skilling, computer science education, and local investment.

LA-Tech.org and Microsoft Corp., in collaboration with County Supervisor Chair Holly J. Mitchell, launched a new effort to advance digital equity in Los Angeles County. The Microsoft Tech Career Academy will take place this fall and will work to accelerate digital skills development and training for jobs. 

At LA-Tech.org, we believe in mobilizing historically underrepresented and underserved communities in Los Angeles through education. Many of the students we work with have lacked the opportunity to learn about the tech industry without proper resources and funding. We aim to connect these communities to the tech sector and show them what it means to build a career in tech through our learning programs. We also believe our tech partners can benefit from the oftentimes overlooked talent of LA County - marginalized BIPOC populations.

“After the success of our South LA Intern Initiative with Supervisor Mitchells office, we are so thrilled to see this partnership expanded with Microsoft. It is so crucial for these South LA students to get their first foot in the door to tap into a high earning potential such as tech”. - Sean Arian, Executive Director, LA-Tech.org.

The new academy, Microsoft Tech Career Academy, will be centered around providing professional mentorship, Cyber Security and IT training, and certifications. The 8-10 week program will target 100 applicants for the program, with the goal of landing 70% of the program’s graduates in internships and fellowships, with LA -Tech.org  and Microsoft partners and local employers across the county.

Not only will students get to learn from top tech companies including Microsoft and LinkedIn, but they will get paid while building their portfolio. LA-Tech.org believes in economic equity just as much as digital equity- we do not believe students should go unpaid for their work. Young people who can't afford to work for free are often left out of well-paid jobs due to lack of experience, which largely contributes to the inequality rife within Los Angeles. We continue to work to diversify the tech sector by bridging the gap between the untapped talent  of underserved communities and major tech companies through our paid learning programs.

“Microsoft is proud to work with the county of Los Angeles and community, learning and corporate partners to bridge the digital divide and create good-paying, sustainable jobs in Los Angeles,” said Kate Behncken, vice president of Microsoft Philanthropies. "This effort builds on Microsoft’s longstanding commitment to digital equity: ensuring underserved and underrepresented communities have the tools and skills to succeed in an increasingly digital world.”

To learn more about the Microsoft Tech Career Academy, click here. 

Or to apply, click here.

If you are from an outside organization and would like to participate in a learning academy and/or volunteer, click here.