During his high school years, Joshua Hawkins would walk by the Old Congress Heights School located on Martin Luther King Avenue SE every morning to attend Ballou Senior High School.
Hawkins never paid much attention to the building because he had no reason to. However, many years later, the Old Congress Heights School— which is now the Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning/Congress Heights Campus at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC)— is where he attends a professional cybersecurity apprenticeship program set up by the university in collaboration with Accenture and PeopleShores as the DC Tech Hub.
“I live a few blocks from here,” Hawkins, 31, told The Informer at the launch of the program on May 27. “I never imagined going to school here but that is what I am doing.”
Hawkins is joined by 49 other students studying cybersecurity within the context of the DC Tech Hub. The program started in April with 50 students.
UDC’s partnership with Accenture and PeopleShores is designed to expand career pathways into the cybersecurity industry for District residents through a paid, 12-month apprenticeship program. The collaboration between the university and the companies comes as the cybersecurity field is experiencing a strong surge in employment with a projected growth of 33% from this year to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The field is fueled by the need for businesses and individuals to protect themselves from cyber threats. Additionally, the Aspen Institute and (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study reveals that only 9% of all professionals in the field are Black, a significant underrepresentation from their representation in the U.S. population.
As President of UDC, Dr. Maurice Edington, embraces the DC Tech Hub as a means for his institution to build partnerships with corporate and nonprofit entities and the students to have a chance at promising careers.
“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 Edington. “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.”
Specifics of the DC Tech Hub Apprenticeship Program
The Tech Hub program consists of 15 weeks of technical training in cybersecurity fundamentals, delivered by Per Scholas in partnership with Accenture subject matter experts. Students get nine months of on-the-job training with Accenture teams.
“That is the best part of the program, you get one year in the field, on a job and they pay you while you learn,” said Hawkins. “You are earning and learning.”
Students are paid competitively in accordance with the market and accrue full benefits throughout the 12-month apprenticeship. A pathway to potential full-time employment with Accenture upon program completion is strongly possible, said Julie Sweet, the chair and CEO of Accenture.
Marty Rodgers, the Accenture U.S. lead, Health and Public Service Client Group, said the program will be a benefit for District residents who live east of the Anacostia River.
“The average Ward 8 resident earns $37,000,” said Rodgers, 58. “The starting salary for an apprentice in this program is $61,000.”
Rodgers said the focus of the program on recruiting and educating Wards 7 and 8 residents is intentional.
“Although talent and hope are equally distributed across every ward in D.C. and every neighborhood in the DMV, access to opportunity is not,” he said. “Apprenticeship programs like this one from Accenture, PeopleShores and UDC can change that by equipping more local individuals with the chance to learn and earn in-demand cybersecurity skills, thereby opening doors to financially and professionally rewarding careers. This is about providing opportunities. We want to make sure that no one gets left behind.”
Ward 7 resident Amani Walker decided to join the program due to her interest in reading mysteries, looking at detective shows and solving various types of puzzles.
“This was a chance I knew I couldn’t pass up,” said Walker, 21. “It is rare to come across an opportunity of this magnitude. The program is very student-forward and people-forward. We have an amazing support system and a good, hands-on learning environment. I’m excited about my future.”