Who is served: Individuals with disabilities, adults with conviction histories, veterans, and many others facing barriers to employment Number of participants served annually: 100 

Location: Manhattan   Frequency/Duration: evenings and weekends  

Application process: Entrance requirements vary by program; the application process is initiated by contacting FedCap via phone or email 

Curriculum: Computer hardware assembly and repair, troubleshooting/diagnostics, basic computer networking, Microsoft Office Suite, HTML, Java  

Skill level: Entry-level  

Outcomes:  CompTIA A+ Certification 

Partnerships: FedCap’s closest partner is ACCES-VR, a program of the New York State Department of Education that provides vocational rehabilitation support for individuals with disabilities. FedCap also partners with community employers who hire their graduates and host interns 

Cost: Tuition costs vary, and are often sponsored by ACCES-VR and other organizations. 

Sources of funding: Tuition at Fedcap Career Design School is provided by ACCES-VR and other sponsoring organizations, as well as self-pay 

What makes this program stand out? FedCap is ramping up digitally oriented programming, with a focus on the fundamentals of computer hardware and software. FedCap’s IT program aims to prepare students for entry level computer service technician roles, such as help desk support, as well as prepare them for CompTIA A+ certification and other certifications such as Microsoft Office certification and Cisco networking certification. Though FedCap does not currently offer a slew of digital education courses, Laura Siegel, Associate Director, Career Design School at FedCap, says they are working to develop this kind of course to meet the demand.  

The program was approved to facilitate CompTIA information technology training and recently hired a new technology faculty member to round out the offerings. FedCap is looking to further develop curriculum that includes HTML, CSS, Java and other programming languages.   

What do participants need to succeed? Recognizing the difficulties faced by individuals with barriers to employment such as a disability or a criminal record, FedCap works with government programs such as ACCES-VR or Workforce1 to offset out of pocket tuition costs. Post-program, FedCap offers career services for up to a year after graduation. Though the program does not formally provide bridge programming, it’s something they work to integrate into their existing curriculum to aid students who need additional support. 

What does the organization need? The organization needs space to offer additional programming and funding to help scale and improve services. Bridge programming would help participants improve literacy skills and better prepare them for the program, said Seigel. 

“I would love to see a bridge program on the table to improve basic literacy skills,” said Siegel. “Even for our folks who are coming through our custodial training program, now you need to have even just have some basic computer skills.”