Financial Literacy Program Introduced at JobCorps
For Immediate Release - September 26, 2005
Mary Dupont, Executive Director of the Nehemiah Gateway Community Development Corporation, and Jack Markell, Delaware State Treasurer, announced the addition of a new program, which integrates financial education, savings, and asset building into the Wilmington JobCorps curriculum.
The "TechnoSave" program is a partnership between the Wilmington JobCorps, Commerce Bank, ING Direct Bank, and the Nehemiah Gateway Community Development Corporation.
"We're very excited to partner with Wilmington's JobCorps to launch this initiative," Ms. Dupont said. "As part of the program, Nehemiah Gateway is integrating a 20-hour financial education program into the existing JobCorps curriculum, which is tailored to meet the needs of young adults who face challenges of employment, independent living, and supporting themselves and in some cases, their young families."
JobCorps is a federally funded program by the US Department of Labor that helps low income high school dropouts obtain their G.E.D. and to prepare for entering the workforce by learning a specific job skill. Nehemiah Gateway is a Wilmington-based non-profit whose mission is to create economic opportunities through asset, career, and business development.
As a part of the TechnoSave program, over 100 students will open a savings account with Commerce Bank and will save $200 over a 6 to 12 month period. When they reach their savings goal, they will then make an investment of $150 toward the purchase of a new computer, which will be matched by Nehemiah Gateway. The computers from Kehtron Computers of Wilmington will be fully loaded with basic operating systems and programs. The partnership has been underwritten by ING Direct Bank.
Treasurer Markell, long-time supporter of Nehemiah Gateway added, "This partnership is exciting as it puts the tools needed for financial literacy directly into the hands of people who need them. It's a great way for the participants to not only be educated about the benefits of savings and asset building, but to also have a tangible outcome in the form of their own computer, which in itself is a tool for further education."
