‘A Pathway into an Incredible Field:’ El Centro’s IT and Cybersecurity Track Creating New Job Opportunities for Immigrants in Boston

This is Part I of an ongoing series highlighting Catholic Charities Boston’s growing IT and Cybersecurity programs, in light of September being Workforce Development Month.

“There is no real digital equity without equitable access to jobs in the digital economy. Digital equity is offering people opportunities into fields of the future,” said Marianna Geraskina, Director of Catholic Charities Boston’s El Centro Adult Education Center.

Closely following her students’ career paths, Marianna observed that many El Centro graduates, who had become fluent in English, still found themselves at a disadvantage when applying to programs and jobs in the IT, data, accounting, engineering, and computer science fields. Even those who had advanced degrees from their native countries and a great aptitude for technology, she said, often struggled to secure professional jobs, as they were inevitably competing with students who had acquired education in the U.S. and had better understanding of systems, including labor markets, and access to training opportunities.

That’s when the idea of creating a pathway into IT and cybersecurity at El Centro began to form. When Marianna learned of Onward! a minority owned business offering coding and web design classes to Boston high schools and businesses, she reached out to establish a partnership. El Centro’s first coding class, originally taught by Onward! founder Emilio Murillo, is now taught by an El Centro program graduate and is part of a larger initiative to help ESOL students break into the cybersecurity and computer science field.

ESOL graduates interested in these studies can enroll in El Centro’s coding class, where they learn fundamentals of coding languages, like SQL and HTLM, JavaScript, and how to create a website. If a student is successful in this class, they can join El Centro’s new Introduction to Networks class and CCUSA’s program leading to multiple Google certifications.

“These courses and initiatives have developed into a pathway into an incredible field,” said Marianna.

For students who have successfully completed these courses, Marianna said El Centro offers training in cybersecurity delivered by community partners. Currently, El Centro’s training partner is Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology where students get an intensive 9-month training, college credit, and industry certifications. Upon completing the El Centro IT program, the graduates start working in the field, and many continue studies for a college degree in cybersecurity. Through El Centro’s networking support, some students go on to enroll in the City of Boston’s Cybersecurity fellowship as well, while others go on to earn their bachelor’s degree in other technology fields. It is a remarkable opportunity for our students who can put their talent to work for the community.

Marianna says the determination of El Centro students amazes her and her colleagues every day. For this reason, she too is determined to continue improving this initiative and making the fields of IT and cybersecurity more accessible for El Centro graduates.

“We are serving students who this system wasn’t created for,” she said.

To read more about Catholic Charities Boston’s Workforce Development programs, click here.

To find out how you can support Catholic Charities’ students and clients in need, visit our Ways to Give page.