UNC-Chapel Hill partners with 2U to expand access to tech bootcamps

The UNC-Chapel Hill Friday Center for Continuing Education has joined 2U, Inc., and more than 30 non-profit universities nationwide to launch a $3 million scholarship fund designed to expand access to critical tech training boot camps for historically underrepresented candidates experiencing job loss or financial hardship.

Scholarships of $2,500 each will be available to Black, Latino, and Indigenous learners, as well as women, demonstrating both need and merit. They can be applied to UNC-Chapel Hill’s bootcamp programs on coding, data analytics, and digital marketing.

In addition to the Scholarship Fund, 2U has begun rolling out a 24-month, no-interest payment plan option for students enrolling in select boot camps across its university partner network. The payment plan further increases the affordability of tech training programs at an urgent moment for workers across the nation.

More than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment since states across the U.S. shut down to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 95% of workers in low-income households experiencing job loss or a loss of income (Gallup). More than one third of Americans say they will need training or education to find new jobs (Strada Education Network). Tech jobs have been some of the most resilient roles in the current economic downturn, with many industries now accelerating their digital transformation, automation, and e-commerce efforts. Boot camps are seeing record levels of interest as workers look to both reskill and upskill to increase their employment opportunities.

CATEGORIES Lifelong Learning | Noncredit Offerings | Technology