ReGeneration IT Employment Program Graduates First Class of Adult Learners

Last week, the first class of ReGeneration IT students took the stage at Florida State College at Jacksonville, Downtown in a graduation celebration. The graduates, all mature workers age 40 and above who were previously displaced, unemployed, or underemployed workers, completed eleven weeks of bootcamp-style career reskilling.

“The decision to change careers, learn new skills, and go back to the classroom to develop new mindsets is life-changing. We are so proud of what our graduates have accomplished,” said Tracey Bradley Sr., ReGeneration partnership manager.  “We are also incredibly grateful to our partners at AARP Foundation who have helped us develop specialized coaching sessions and job search strategies to prepare learners for the hiring and interview process.”

“We are a family now!” said new graduate and program participant, Tracy Sheppard. “I feel like I’m a part of something much bigger now — the IT field and Generation/ReGeneration.”

ReGeneration is a new initiative from Generation, the independent global unemployment nonprofit founded by McKinsey & Company in 2014. Over the past five years, more than 29,000 participants have graduated from Generation programs in twelve countries including the United States and Puerto Rico. Globally, Generation graduates earn 2-6 times their pre-Generation salary and have earned more than $100 million cumulatively.

Generation was initially founded to confront youth unemployment, but as applications opened for new programs in the U.S., it became clear that another age group was eager to participate in Generation programs: workers age 40 and older who had lost their jobs and needed additional training and support to switch careers.

With a $4.56 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Generation launched the ReGeneration initiative in Jacksonville, Fla. and Birmingham, Ala. Over the past eleven weeks, the ReGeneration participants completed  hands-on classroom sessions that ranged from installing hardware and software and responding to technical issues to customer service strategies and effective communication. Career coaches worked one-on-one with each graduate on resume and cover letter development and AARP Foundation developed mentoring sessions about how to address age in the job search, interview role-plays, and confidence-building activities.

After graduation, ReGeneration staff will continue to work with the graduates as they prepare for the CompTIA Fundamentals, A+ certifications, and job interviews for open positions in Duval County.

Local employers who are interested in hiring ReGeneration graduates are encouraged to submit a partnership form when they visit usa.generation.org. To learn more about the USA ReGeneration program please visit usa.generation.org/regeneration.