Hopeworks, a Camden-based nonprofit that provides young adults with tech-focused job training and work experience, has announced a 4,000-square-foot expansion of its Kensington office thanks to a $1 million gift from an anonymous benefactor.
The Kensington, Pennsylvania office opened in December of 2022, and has since placed over 138 young adults into living-wage careers. With this planned expansion, Hopeworks will be able to double its job training slots for young adults aged 17 to 27.
“With a waiting list of over 120 individuals, we know young adults are ready and able to change their lives; this expansion will help them do just that,” Dan Rhoton, CEO of Hopeworks, said when the grant and expansions plans were announced last week.
The expansion of the Kensington office will give the nonprofit the ability to place an additional 100 young adults in living-wage tech jobs each year.
“It’s fantastic to see success beget success. A rising tide raises all ship after all,” said Tim Mealy, a Hopeworks alum who now works full time on Hopeworks’ Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team.
In addition to the expansion, Hopeworks also announced the launch of a new venture into its enterprise later this year: a medical coding business. This initiative will join Hopeworks’ existing businesses, which include Geographic Information Systems (GIS), web design and trauma-informed consulting services.
The initial construction and successful opening of the Kensington office were achieved through a collaborative effort of local funders and supporters, including GreenLight Fund Philadelphia, Comcast, the Connelly Foundation, and Dell Technologies.
For more information about Hopeworks, please visit www.hopeworks.org.
About Hopeworks
Hopeworks is an NJBIA member that uses technology, healing, and entrepreneurship to transform lives. Hopeworks’ unique mix of training, trauma-informed care, and real-world experience is what leads to extraordinary results. The approach, combined with high-demand, high-wage technical training and paid work experience is helping to build a workforce that can not only get the job, but keep it, transforming their lives and the lives of their families.
To provide this experience, Hopeworks runs real businesses, providing technology solutions for businesses in web design and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and trauma-informed solutions through training and consulting services with the Hopeworks Training Team. These businesses help generate over 100 jobs a year, and lead to high-wage, permanent opportunities for young adults in a growing tech industry.
Hopeworks’ unique combination has led to extraordinary results, with over 85% of young adults earning high-wage jobs at the end of their work experience with Hopeworks, and a 12-month retention rate of almost 90% at those jobs. Young adults entering Hopeworks are typically earning an average of $400 per year and after going through the training program, they have the opportunity to make a livable and comfortable wage, earning over $42,000 annually.
