Kent County Today

Delaware State Chamber Of Commerce issued the following announcement on Dec. 26.

Delaware small business owners will have greater access to graduates from Zip Code Wilmington’s computer coding training program thanks to a new partnership between Zip Code Wilmington and the Delaware Division of Small Business.

Zip Code Wilmington is now designated as a certified trainer by the Division of Small Business. As a part of this partnership, the Division will give companies under 100 employees who hire Zip Code Wilmington graduates a 50 percent discount on the tuition reimbursement fee typically associated with these new hires. By reducing the cost, which is used to offset Zip Code Wilmington’s training expenses, it will make it easier for small businesses to access the tech talent they need to compete in the modern economy.

“We are excited to be named as a certified training provider by the Delaware Division of Small Business as it helps diversify the types of companies that can hire our talented and highly motivated graduates,” said Desa Burton, executive director, Zip Code Wilmington. “As a self-sustaining nonprofit, we rely on tuition reimbursement paid by our corporate partners when a graduate is placed. With this grant, small businesses seeking to hire our graduates will have affordable access to the skilled tech talent they need to help their businesses grow and remain competitive in an ever-increasing technical marketplace.”

Zip Code Wilmington is eligible to receive a maximum of $100,000 to help small businesses up-skill, re-skill or acquire tech talent through an affordable and smart process.

“Finding highly trained software developers is as important for smaller companies as it is for their larger competitors,” said Damian DeStefano, director of the Delaware Division of Small Business. “The Division’s new partnership with Zip Code Wilmington will make it more affordable for these business owners to hire Zip Code graduates, and will expand opportunities for the program’s graduates.”

Small businesses in Delaware are eligible now until June 30, 2020 to take advantage of this program. Any Delaware business with less than 100 employees that hires a graduate will see their tuition reimbursement fee reduced by $6,000 until the cap of $100,000 is met.

To become a Zip Code Wilmington hiring partner, email Lossie Freeman, director of corporate partnerships, at lossie@zipcodewilmington.com. 

Original source can be found here.