The menu of 12- and 14-week, in-person courses have two start dates: next Tuesday and on Sept. 18, officials said Thursday. Costs for tuition, fees and textbooks are covered through CCAC's LevelUp412 program, with financial assistance from Verizon and Neighborhood Allies.
The offerings are part of a broader effort by CCAC to extend tech skills to underrepresented populations, such as those served by the center, said Juel Smith, executive director of the Homewood-Brushton Center.
The program also is open to students from other parts of Pittsburgh.
Course topics include hardware and operating systems, networking concepts, security and troubleshooting. The three- and one-credit courses can be applied toward a cybersecurity support specialist certificate or a network support specialist certificate, according to CCAC.
"We want to make sure that we close the digital divide, getting people of all ages, all ethnicities up to speed on technology. It's a growing field and it's changing around us constantly," Smith said Thursday.
She said it's also important because a number of tech employers, including companies such as Google and Duolingo, have operations in Pittsburgh.
"We want to make sure that our communities have the skill levels that they need to be qualified for these particular positions that are opening up," she said.
The program saves students anywhere from about $300 to $700 that they would otherwise pay for the instruction and books.
She said a number of the courses still have room, including those beginning next week. Those interested in applying can contact Smith at jsmith@ccac.edu or 412-371-1600.
Earlier this week, Gov. Josh Shapiro and State System of Higher Education leaders announced that students attending Pennsylvania's state-owned universities can now earn free tech industry-recognized certificates during their undergraduate studies through a new partnership with Google.
The aim is to move students more quickly and less expensively from campuses into good-paying, high-demand jobs. It also would help employers meet their workforce demands, benefiting the state's economy, officials said.
Members of the public who are not enrolled in college can also take part in the program.
Included in the instruction are cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, business intelligence, IT support, project management and user-experience design. Eight institutions, including the Western Pennsylvania campuses of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Penn West University (California, Clarion, Edinboro) and Slippery Rock University.
The certificates usually take three to six months to complete, State System spokesman Kevin Hensil said. It's online and at the pace of the student.
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