The local IT career training provider and community partner offers in-person tech help at no cost to UMB’s neighbors.
Photo: (From left) NPower’s Shaniah Mason, Mikenzhie Smith, and Avionna Mansai
Since February 2023, NPower, a local IT career training provider, has provided free virtual help desk services to community members to address the digital divide. The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Community Engagement Center (CEC) recently partnered with NPower to bring an in-person help desk to our center once a month.
Community members can get free hands-on help with their hardware — personal computers, laptops, tablets, phones, and software — unlocking email, sending résumés, accessing medical records, and social media. The service is free to community members.
Lisa Rawlings, MBA, who directs the UMB Office of Community Engagement’s Workforce Wednesday program, has found the Community Help Desk’s work invaluable.
“In today’s job market, it is very difficult to apply for a job or access career training without going online,” she said. “For some of our neighbors who have both a lack of technology and a lack of skills to use this technology, it can be very frustrating.”
During its first session at the CEC, NPower sent three of its career training graduates to work with people who had technology trouble. One of them, Mikenzhie Smith, NPower’s help desk coordinator, said, “I think incorporating NPower’s Community Help Desk into your Workforce Wednesdays is a fantastic idea. It is a great way to offer expanded support to the community.”
The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. Individuals can schedule an appointment here: https://bit.ly/cectechhelp or walk in. Individuals should remember to bring their problematic equipment with them.