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By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
A new apprenticeship program is helping Washingtonians land careers in the country’s growing cybersecurity industry. The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) recently launched the Cybersecurity Tech Hub at its Congress Heights campus in Ward 8.
Through the program, District residents have the opportunity to learn while they earn, receiving hands-on instruction, competitive wages and full benefits. The inaugural cohort of 50 individuals began their training in April.
For one member, Joshua Hawkins, the opportunity came when he needed it most. The 31-year-old is a new father, and he’d been job searching for nearly a year prior to the apprenticeship.
“This is the first program that I’ve ever been in where there’s actually results from it. I’m benefiting greatly,” said Hawkins. “I’m able to learn. I’m able to study when I get home. I’m able to make enough money where I don’t have to get a second job and overwhelm myself to get food on the table.”
The 31-year-old previously participated in training courses for cybersecurity and information technology. He explained that many existing apprenticeship programs for technology careers fail to provide a livable wage— or, any wage at all—despite requiring a burdensome time commitment.
A native of Ward 8, Hawkins lives just across the street from the UDC’s new tech hub. The predominantly African-American community has faced decades of disinvestment and economic inequality, which has given way to high poverty rates, unemployment and crime.
Hawkins said the apprenticeship presents his neighbors with an avenue to defy the harmful narratives that have long overshadowed Ward 8.
“This is going to allow us to show people that there is talent in Ward 8. There is talent in these places where people think it’s a scary place to live,” said Hawkins. “It inspires people to get up and do something.”
Amani Walker, another cohort member, believes the new tech hub can also expose marginalized communities to careers they may have never considered. The 21-year-old, a resident of Ward 6, began pursuing a career in technology last fall.
Though she, like Hawkins, has a foundational information technology credential, she has lacked the necessary work experience to secure other internships and jobs.
“Being able to experience this has made me realize that not only are my goals reasonable, they’re also attainable,” said Walker. “I just needed the right community and backing to help me get myself to the potential that I knew I could achieve. Programs like this are very important in underserved communities because you can go down the wrong path very quickly if you don’t know you have other options.”
The Cybersecurity Tech Hub at UDC is the product of a collaboration between Accenture, a global professional services company that specializes in information technology services, and PeopleShores, a technology enterprise that connects young adults with digital skills and employment.
At the start of the apprenticeship, participants spend 15 weeks learning cybersecurity fundamentals. They then have nine months of on-the job training with Accenture teams. Upon completion of the program, cohort members may also have the opportunity to gain a full-time position with Accenture.
“This partnership is much more than a training program— it is a launchpad for District residents seeking meaningful, lasting careers in a high-demand field,” said Maurice D. Edington, president of UDC, in a statement. “It also reflects UDC’s strategic vision of becoming the District’s leading workforce and economic mobility engine, and we are extremely proud to work with Accenture and PeopleShores to bring this vision to life.”
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