NICI Impact Grant Supports Successful Student Completion of YW TechLab
Founded in Rockford in 1891, YWCA Northwestern Illinois has a proud history of providing services to women and families throughout the region. The organization continuously adapts its larger mission of eliminating racism and empowering women to address the growing needs of the six counties it serves. This includes new literacy programs, referral services for the area’s immigrant populations, and job training.
Northern Illinois Community Initiatives (NICI)’s Impact Grant funding of $100,000 will help cover stipends for the YWCA’s Information Technology (IT) workforce development program: YW TechLab. Students in the program can use stipends for childcare, transportation, internet access, or any other barriers to enrollment and completion. Thanks to the stipends, more participants are graduating with the training, certificates, and on-going case management support necessary to find and retain a job. NICI looks forward to continuing its investment in inclusive economic mobility.
“NICI took the time to learn about the YWCA, and took a deep dive into our YW Tech Lab program, striving to learn more about the students and how our program was structured to help remove barriers to successful completion of the certificate programs. The improvement in student retention and success soared after NICI funded stipends for the students — removing the barrier of needing income while they are in training.”
— Kris Machajewski, CEO