State announces digital literacy training opening this fall

The New York State Office for New Americans (ONA) and Cancodecommunities recently announced the opening of registration for the fall 2021 session of Digital Literacy Training. Known as Newamericanscancode, the program provides digital literacy training to assist newcomers to New York State in gaining basic computer skills.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the importance of digital skills to carry out life’s everyday functions from working to learning to having access to key information. Through the Newamericanscancode program, we are providing new Americans with more tools to help them succeed in today’s job market and make meaningful contributions as members of the community,” New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said.

“We are proud to partner with the New York State Office for New Americans to provide computer education and training to immigrants across the state. Digital literacy is essential for building a career in today’s information economy, and by equipping more New Yorkers with those critical skills, we are enhancing the tech talent pipeline to support the needs of employers,” Cancode Communities Founder and CEO Annmarie Lanesey added.

As part of Newamericanscancode, students learn Microsoft Office, how to manage calendars and email, basic internet safety skills, and basic computer usage. The course is available to any immigrant living in New York, regardless of status, who meets income eligibility requirements.

Fall courses will be offered remotely, with real-time instruction and hands-on learning. Classes will begin the week of Sept. 27, run for 10 weeks, and be conducted on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit www.cancode.org/virtual-digitalliteracy-program, email info@albanycancode.org, or call (518) 2386808.

Newamericanscancode was first launched in 2020 as the Immigrants Can Code program to ensure low-income immigrants, particularly those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, have access to digital literacy education and more advanced software training that are essential to building careers in the Empire State’s fast-growing innovation economy. ONA and Cancodecommunities expanded the program in response to the continued need created by the pandemic, which illustrated how important digital literacy is for those who are now working from home, or who are seeking new employment that requires them to work remotely.

This program is supported with approximately $150,000 through Federal CARES Act funding, and is open to any immigrant with a household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

This program is supported by the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $150,000 with 100 percent funded

ing $150,000 with 100 percent funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements.

Launched in 2016 as Albany can code and rebranded this year as Can code Communities, the organization now includes 7 entities: Albany can code, Kingston can code, New americanscan code, Saratoga can code, Herkimer can code, New york can code, and Berkshire scan code. More than 300 students have graduated from its courses, securing tech jobs with leading employers — including Accenture, Goldman Sachs, New York State Office of Information Technology Services, MVP Healthcare, and Zones, among others — and receiving average annual salary increases exceeding $18,000.

The New York State Office for New Americans, founded in 2012, is the nation’s first statutorily created immigrant services office. ONA assists all new Americans with accessing and navigating a variety of free services and support through its statewide network of community-based providers.

For any immigrant in need of assistance, or to connect with ONA’S programs, call the New Americans Hotline at 1-800-5667636 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday. All calls are confidential. Assistance is available in more than 200 languages. For more information, visit https:// dos.ny.gov/office-new-americans or follow ONA on Twitter at @ Nysnewamericans or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ Nysnewamericans.

Cancodecommunities is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2016 to develop non-traditional talent and advocate for a vibrant, inclusive tech talent pipeline in New York State. The organization designs and delivers workforce training courses, hands-on K-12 coding programs, and community code literacy workshops, in alignment with the needs of employers, educators, talent, and the community in general. Its mission is to shift mindset about who can work in technology, remove cultural and economic barriers to joining the tech workforce, and establish and promote pathways to tech careers throughout the region. For more, visit www.can