General Assembly: Enhancing Career Opportunities for Underserved Communities

Ten years ago, General Assembly was founded as a co-working space in New York City. Today, they are a leader in career transformation, focusing on teaching today’s most in-demand tech skills. Since its establishment, General Assembly has upskilled and reskilled over 70,000 alumni globally. More than being one of the pioneers in tech education, General Assembly is committed to bridging the opportunity gaps through positive social impact initiatives.

Having shed plans of solo goal pursuits, General Assembly partnered with organizations that share its commitment to access, equity, and inclusion. These dynamic partnerships have created reskilling and upskilling opportunities for people who lack access to high-quality career-transforming programs.

How General Assembly Is Solving Disability Inclusiveness in Tech

General Assembly has partnered with several remarkable global organizations to steer its mission of empowering people to pursue the work they love. 

One partner is Fundación Adecco, a non-profit organization that provides career coaching and networking opportunities to individuals who face difficulty entering the labor market. The organization works with various groups, such as people with disabilities, victims of gender violence, and those over the age of 45 with a long period of unemployment. 

Fundación Adecco is based in Spain, where millions of workers lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these jobs might not be recovered due to new technologies. The impact on individuals with disabilities is greater because of the wide digital skills gap present even before the pandemic. To narrow this gap, Fundación Adecco is offering General Assembly scholarships to qualified applicants.

Through General Assembly’s three-month full-time Software Engineering Immersive course, the partnership successfully reskilled 15 eligible students with disabilities into software engineers. The scholarship recipients learned key foundational skills and completed projects that prepared them to pursue a tech career. The course, delivered entirely in Spanish, was General Assembly’s first social impact initiative in Europe.

“This has, by far, been the most intense learning experience I’ve ever had, and a true mental and physical challenge,” said Ismael Gonzalez, who graduated in Software Engineering Immersive. “I barely knew what HTML was and after only three months, I can now consider myself a developer!” 

“To say that I am proud of my achievement would be an understatement. A whole professional future has opened up for me where I can succeed regardless of my motor impairment.” 

Another graduate of General Assembly and Fundación Adecco’s partnership said that anyone with a disability and with the opportunity should take up this course. “I think that for someone who is physically disabled like myself, it’s one of the best professional options we have. And, if it is something you truly enjoy, you have the perfect combination,” the student said.

Fundación Adecco also helps graduates with their job search, so they can launch their fulfilling career in tech. In less than two months of completing the program, several graduates were interviewed by an average of five companies, and four individuals accepted job offers.

How General Assembly Is Boosting Career Opportunities for Refugees

General Assembly has also partnered with Breaking Barriers, which allows refugees in London to acquire the knowledge, confidence, and experience needed to secure stable and fulfilling jobs.

The partnership will provide a range of training and career service opportunities to refugees and those with refugee backgrounds across the UK. It will center around enhancing career opportunities through targeted upskilling and reskilling in software engineering, data analytics, product management, and digital marketing. 

General Assembly is also part of Breaking Barriers’ Fuse Action Plan, which brings like-minded businesses together to share best practices. The plan aims for companies to grow together and take concrete action to achieve more for refugees in the UK.

“We know that refugees are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we also know that there’s an effective way to address these challenges through collaborative and innovative partnerships like the one we’ve formed with General Assembly,” shared Matt Powell, CEO and Founder of Breaking Barriers. 

Matt also said the joint effort enables clients to grow through training and resources, forming an alternative pathway to careers in today’s evolving job market. “Working alongside GA, we can also offer career advice, technical support, and access to an extended network of hiring partners,” he continued.

The partnership has garnered positive results since it started earlier this year. One student of the Software Engineering Immersive (SEI) program found a job within three months of completing the course. Another one recently completed the same program and is currently looking for a job.

By the end of 2021, General Assembly will allocate five seats in the SEI program to Breaking Barriers. It has also provided over £2,000 of class and workshop credits every quarter for Breaking Barriers beneficiaries.

Apart from clients, Breaking Barriers staff can also take part in the programs to boost their skills via unlimited access to select online learning paths. Staff members who have completed their training also share what they’ve learned with clients. At present, 18 members of the Breaking Barriers team use General Assembly’s Free On-Demand for NonProfit content. 

General Assembly Scholarships and Tuition Assistance

Apart from championing equal opportunities for people with disabilities and refugees, General Assembly also strongly upholds the inclusivity of underrepresented groups, such as women and members of the LGBTQ community. To ensure inclusiveness, it offers scholarships and discounts to them, as well as accepts GI Bill. 

Break the Glass 

Break the Glass tuition discounts help promote gender diversity and inclusion at all levels. Recipients will receive a discount of $1,500 on their tuition if they:

• Are 18 years old and older
• Identify as a woman, transgender person, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, or nonbinary person
• Earn less than $40,000 a year
• Are admitted into one of the following courses: Software Engineering Immersive, Software Engineering Immersive Remote, Software Engineering Remote (Flex), Data Science Immersive, Data Science Immersive Remote, or Data Science Immersive Remote (Flex)

Through this discount, General Assembly aims to encourage and raise the enrollment of women and members of minority communities in its courses. By doing so, it hopes to continue promoting diversity in tech. 

Adobe x General Assembly

Adobe Digital Academy offers scholarships to eligible individuals attending General Assembly. The program is open to US-based candidates looking to change careers and gain tech training and experience. Individuals must apply to be considered for the scholarship. Recipients of the scholarship will be chosen based on past career success, innovative problem-solving skills, examples of having a growth mindset, and strong communication skills. 

The scholarship consists of two parts.

Part 1 features intensive technical training and performance feedback. Scholarship recipients will participate in General Assembly’s Software Engineering Immersive, User Experience Design Immersive, Data Science Immersive, and part-time Digital Marketing courses.

Part 2 involves a three- to six-month remote internship at Adobe. Interns will receive hands-on job experience as well as ongoing mentorship, feedback, and peer support. Top-performing interns will have the opportunity to be considered for full-time positions at Adobe.

This scholarship is an incredible opportunity for prospective students who would like to experience working at the global tech company Adobe.

GI Bill Acceptance 

General Assembly accepts the GI Bill from military veterans and military personnel looking to reskill to acquire a fulfilling civilian career in tech. 

Veterans can use their GI Bill benefits to enroll in Software Engineering Immersive, User Experience Design Immersive, or Data Science Immersive courses. General Assembly locations that accept the GI Bill are Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Denver, New York City, and Seattle. 

All courses are designed and taught by industry experts. It also includes one-on-one career support, which is crucial for military personnel looking to switch careers. Veterans who attend the program are assured of any support needed to gain both the technical and soft skills that will help them land a job in the tech industry after completing their course.

Note that not all courses are available at all locations. It is advisable to check with General Assembly if the course you want is available at your preferred location.

Be Part of General Assembly’s Diverse Community

General Assembly continues to take important steps to create a positive social impact around the world. By partnering with different organizations and offering scholarships to students, it remains true to its commitment to closing opportunity gaps and building a diverse pool of tech talent globally. 

To read General Assembly reviews and learn about their social impact initiatives and scholarship requirements, read more about how General Assembly empowers underrepresented communities here.