$5M Grant Funds Free Modesto-based Tech Training Program Offering $25-an-hour Internships

Want free training for a new career in tech, followed by an internship that pays $25 an hour? Stanislaus County Workforce Development is using a $5 million grant from the state of California to create a new tech training and paid internship program through Bay Valley Tech, a local coding academy.

​

The training and internship opportunities are open to anyone ages 16 to 30 in Stanislaus County, though those outside of the county willing to commute to the Modesto-based school also will be considered.

People who do not meet the age requirements can be considered based on income and must make no more than $35,384 gross annually.

​

Bay Valley Tech, which has been offering free or low-cost coding training in the region since the pandemic started, will have two years to train 180 students through the program. The free training typically takes four months, followed by an internship program that can last six to eight months.

​

The free digital skills bootcamp offered through Bay Valley Tech includes instruction in digital marketing, web design, software development, software quality assurance, information technology help desk and project management and more. The paid internship opportunities will come after completion of the training. Participants will be paid $25 an hour for part-time work of 29 hours per week. The internships will typically run 28 weeks, or seven months.

​

“Workforce Development is committed to helping people transition into better-paying jobs. Our partnership with Bay Valley Foundation provides a low-barrier path to rewarding jobs in software development, digital design, digital marketing and related fields,” Stanislaus County Workforce Development Director Doris Foster said in a written statement about the new program. “This funding represents a significant expansion of the region’s technology training capacity and creates new economic opportunities for hundreds of families.”

​

Besides working with Workforce Development, Bay Valley Tech has entered a three-year contract with Stanislaus County Office of Education and received $100,000 from the city of Modesto to start a digital designs course for residents.

​

Alumni of Bay Valley Tech’s past coding programs have found positions with Deloitte, E.&J. Gallo Winery, Robert Half Technology, Tyler Technologies and OtterSoft, a multimillion-dollar Modesto-based healthcare technology company.

​

“Collaborating with Stanislaus County Workforce Development enables Bay Valley Tech to serve many more people in the community. They have been an amazing partner and bring deep expertise in workforce development to this internship program. This is a unique opportunity for the region’s residents to pivot into lucrative tech careers,” said Bay Valley Tech President Phil Lan, in a written statement. Enrollment will be ongoing throughout the program’s two years.

​

Those interested in applying should visit stanworkforce.com for more information and to apply.