TechBridge, Inc., a national nonprofit committed to providing technology solutions and services to poverty-alleviating nonprofits, announced today a new strategic partnership with OneTen, an organization designed to close the opportunity gap for Black talent in America, to encourage economic prosperity through a skills-first approach focused on re-credentialing roles and offering Black talent access to professional development and technology skills training.

TechBridge's unique mission to alleviate generational poverty through the innovative use of technology aligns with OneTen's goal to help close the racial wealth gap in the U.S. TechBridge joins as an endorsed talent developer and will serve as a valuable partner to OneTen's talent ecosystem as they work together to scale and align the tech jobs ecosystem to better meet the demand for Black talent.

"The real way to end generational poverty is to ensure people can work," said Nicole Armstrong, CEO, TechBridge. "If we believe technology is the future and we are aware of the digital divide, then we need Black and brown people building the algorithms and becoming the data scientists that create the systems we use every day."

While the job market is booming, the racial wealth gap in America remains wide. This is largely due to the employment barriers created by college degrees: 79% of jobs paying more than $50,000 require a four-year college degree, which automatically disqualifies 76% of Black Americans over age 25 with relevant experience. With Black professionals representing less than 8% of the technology workforce, harnessing multi-stakeholder partnerships is vital to spearheading diversity and fostering pathways to success.

"The racial divide in today's job market is abundantly clear, with the technology sector representing a key area of opportunity for Black talent," said Maurice Jones, CEO, OneTen. "Candidates are too often excluded on the basis of a four-year degree requirement, and through partnerships with organizations such as TechBridge, OneTen is able to adequately skill Black talent for family-sustaining jobs, expand their career possibilities, and take tangible steps to close the racial wealth gap."

TechBridge and OneTen plan to empower and support the need for a diverse technology field through the placement of Black talent into jobs that companies sorely need as the war for talent continues. By addressing unmet business needs, helping displaced workers find gainful employment, and allowing more students to transition into technology careers, inclusive work culture is within reach.