OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Metropolitan Community College is helping students advance in I.T. with the first “Mobile Device Repair Certification Program” in the country.
The program helps students ages 17-22 who have gone through the correctional system.
“We were seeing a problem that a lot of the kids were having transitioning into workforce development,” said Sundiata Menelik, the co-founder and senior mentor.
Gary Girard, who serves as the Vice President for Community and Workforce Education at Metropolitan Community College, said, “This becomes a starting point for them (the students) to develop a pathway.”
Girard said that pathway can either lead the students to a career in the I.T. field or onto higher education.
The boot camp also helps students with rides and meals. Students receive a stipend to further the incentive to learn.
“With our boot camp program, our goal is to remove any barriers that a student might be experiencing,” said Lindsay Decker, the Director of Communications with Avenue Scholars.
Students like Jacob Mclain and Aryon Tate said they have enjoyed their time in the program.
“I love it,” said Mclain. “I’m actually happy I got this opportunity because I was offered it and I’m going to try and take it somewhere.”
“It helped me just learn another trade,” said Tate. “It helped me to have something under my belt that I might want to do in the long run.”
Part of the money for the program comes from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Aaron Hanson said that every year the office uses some of the seized asset’s fund to help a nonprofit or charity.
“So essentially we’re using drug dealing seized money to help disrupt cycles of poverty and crime,” he said. “This helps young people to be able to live in dignity and be able to take care of their families.”
The four-week program runs until next Thursday, June 29th. Upon graduation, students are guaranteed a job with IFixOmaha if they want it.
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