Steve Wozniak’s Education-as-a-Service Company, Woz U, is joining forces with Maryland-based TranZed Apprenticeships to develop world-class apprenticeships to meet in demand jobs, like cybersecurity, data science, and mobile and web development. The dynamic “Modern Apprenticeship” partnership launched ahead of Wozniak’s two-day tech summit, DesTechAZ 2019, provides robust and relevant content to effectively prepare the talent of tomorrow, today.

“Getting a technical education is the best investment you can make. Period. Nowadays, there’s all this new technology that we can use to solve the world’s problems and not enough people to do it,” said Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Woz U.

The economy is experiencing a golden age, boasting record expansion and record low unemployment rates; however growth is being hampered by an urgent need for a skilled, tech-savvy workforce. In a 2018 Hays survey, 73 percent of employers reported a skills shortage, and 92 percent said the shortage is negatively affecting their business.

“Employers can’t find skilled workers, and millions of job openings remain unfilled. The talent simply isn’t there yet, especially in technical and computer-related fields,” said Paul Champion, President of TranZed Apprenticeships. “The answer is TranZed ‘Modern Apprenticeships’, where workers learn on the job while earning an income. We’re excited to develop these opportunities in partnership with Woz U.”

As a result, Woz U’s Education-as-a-Service platform, paired with TranZed’s “Modern Apprenticeship” approach, brings an ecosystem of over 2,000 hours of content which can be customized based on industry demands. A “Modern Apprenticeship” is a work-based training program aimed at preparing individuals of any age to meet sophisticated talent needs.

“Most of the Woz U modules taught are “from scratch,” which means even individuals without previous industry knowledge can become career-ready in a short period of time,” said Jacob Mayhew, CEO of Woz U. “Additionally, we update our content on a bi-weekly basis to ensure individuals enrolled in all Woz U programs are trained to address the rapidly changing needs of the technology labor market.”

Key components of the “Modern Apprenticeship” partnership include:

· Customized, supervised and paid on-the-job training, wages graduated in-step with skills gained during training

· Related classroom instruction on or off-site

· Formalized mentoring and coaching

· Nationally recognized industry credentials or specialized technical certification earned for demonstrating the achievement of workplace competencies

· Optional college credit leading to an associate or bachelor’s degree

For media inquiries please email Ana Pereira at apereira@conecsna.com and to learn more about the Modern Apprenticeships visit tranzedapprenticeships.com.

About Woz U

Woz U is an EdTech enterprise that is revolutionizing education and training by providing organizations affordable technology curricula and training to offer students and employees. Our vision is to disrupt the current education and training model and creating and powering a new learning ecosystem to elevate human capital in technical careers. With the ultimate disrupter Steve “Woz” Wozniak as our co-founder and namesake, our unique Education-as-a-Service business model is designed to help governments, schools and businesses sustain their ever-changing technical skill gaps and talent demands. Learn more at woz-u.com.

About TranZed Apprenticeships

TranZed Apprenticeships, an affiliate of The Children’s Guild Alliance, works to advance modern apprenticeships throughout the U.S. and offers apprenticeship programs in the Mid-Atlantic developed to address the need for alternative career paths. Apprenticeships combine on-the-job, competency and project-based training with job-related classroom instruction. They offer an earn-and-learn model where apprentices earn money starting their first day and receive pay increases as they gain additional skills and master their occupations.

Students from the The Academy, our therapeutic group-living program, who reside in our Staffa House for girls had the opportunity last weekend to select their perfect athletic shoes and a pair of athletic socks with a motivational message on them.

Big thanks to Charm City Run for helping our students find the perfect fit and donated several running shirts and sports bras for our girls with the promise of more in the near future! The Children’s Guild Alliance staff also made monetary contributions to help make this a reality. Another example of putting Kids First!

The Children’s Guild School of Prince George’s County, which serves children and youth with behavioral, emotional and learning disabilities including children on the autism spectrum, named Ahmed Evans assistant principal. Evans brings more than 18 years of experience in education.

“We do important work at The Children’s Guild, helping students with disabilities explore, learn and grow, and I’m excited to bring my experience and passion to help lead the school and provide the best educational experience for these children,” Evans said.

Previously, Evans served as the head of school for Monarch Academy Baltimore, a public charter school serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. He has held positions as acting principal, academic dean and academic resource coordinator in Prince George’s County Public Schools.

He previously served as assistant principal in a District of Columbia public school and associate principal for Francis Hammond Middle School in Virginia. Evans also held positions as a social studies department chair for Blue Ridge International Academy and as a teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina.

Evans earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in social science from Johnson C. Smith University.

“Ahmed has been a leader in our schools for several years, so I am confident his positive spirit, high energy and skilled leadership will enhance our high-quality learning environment at The Children’s Guild School of Prince George’s County. We’re grateful to have him on our team,” said Kathy Lane, chief of educational services for The Children’s Guild Alliance.

The Children’s Guild Schools are affiliate members of The Children’s Guild Alliance, a nonprofit organization serving children, families and child-serving organizations and dedicated to transforming how America educates and cares for its children through education, behavioral health and national training and consultation services. Affiliates of The Children’s Guild Alliance include Monarch Academy charter and contract schools, The Academy for Working Students (TAWS), TranZed Apprenticeships, The Children’s Guild DC Public Charter School, Transformation Education Institute, National At-Risk Education Network (NAREN), Conference Center at The Children’s Guild Alliance and The National Children’s Guild Fund. (www.childrensguild.org)