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Frequently Asked Questions

Employers

Q: Who is ActivateWork's IT training partner Per Scholas?

A: Per Scholas is one of the best IT training institutions in the country. Their highly successful model supports individuals often excluded from tech careers and has placed more 15,000 IT professionals with 500+ employers in 19 cities.

Their model’s effectiveness has been proven in two large-scale, rigorous, longitudinal studies finding that Per Scholas enrollees are 50% more likely than equally qualified peers to find full-time technology jobs and 50% less likely than peers to be relying on public benefits two years after enrollment.

Q: How do you determine what IT courses to offer?

A: We are laser focused on your business needs. We work with our employer partners to understand hiring pain points and build customized curriculum to ensure you get the skills and talent that you need. Thanks to our training partner, Per Scholas, we have access to hundreds of training modules that can be tailored to your requirements. This library of modules is constantly growing as the industry evolves.

Q: How much does it cost a learner to participate?

A: Our courses are always offered at no cost to learners. Our learners are investing their time and considerable effort to master a rigorous high expectation, high accountability curriculum. Courses run 7 hours a day, 5 days a week and require 2–3 hours of study in the evening.

Q: How do you find your students?

A: We recruit from an extensive network of Colorado nonprofit partners, including Denver Rescue Mission, Warren Village, CrossPurpose, Manna Connect, and Colorado Uplift. We also do extensive outreach through Google, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Our proprietary vetting process identifies job-ready individuals with an aptitude for IT, allowing motivated learners to rapidly train, then launch and succeed in long-term tech careers.

The program is designed to meet people where they are, specifically targeting those that face barriers to other IT training programs such as educational or industry credentials, childcare needs, and limited transportation.

Q: How is ActivateWork funded?

A: Our program launched with philanthropic seed funding combined with industry support. Our five-year goal is to develop a 50–80% self-sustaining, fee-based training program modeled after Per Scholas’ customized training platform. Through this fee-for-service model, we are able to create win-win-win scenarios for the IT industry, our employer partners, and our learners.

Q: Your candidates have the technical qualifications, but will they be successful at our organization?

A: Our comprehensive training not only teaches technology skills but also instructs on problem-solving, critical thinking, troubleshooting, and customer service. Our program includes professional, financial, and life skills such as communication, collaboration, presentation, financial planning, and other skills essential to workforce competency and self-sufficiency.

Q: How can this course be free?

A: Most people who learn about us think: “Too good to be true.” We know it seems that way, but it’s true. Our services are provided at no cost to you, using funds we raise from foundations, corporations, government and generous individuals.

The costs you can prepare for include transportation or childcare—expenses that take care of you so you can focus on your studies.

Q: What are job placement rates for graduates?

A: Over 70% of ActivateWork IT graduates are hired within 4 months of graduation. We have opportunities for job placement with a network of over 20 employer partners, but you're not obligated to work with an employer partner.