Comcast today announced a workforce development initiative that includes $200,000 in grants and a donation of 3,000 laptops to multiple organizations throughout Baltimore.
The company will distribute the funding and laptops through its Internet Essentials program, which brings internet services to low-income households.
The funding and laptops will go to nine organizations focused on education, workforce development, and digital equity.
The organizations include the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore City Community College, Baltimore’s Promise, Catholic Charities of Baltimore, Center for Urban Families, Grassrootz (Gro-Charity), Liberty Rec and Tech Center, and Digital Harbor High School.
The program aims to address the digital divide in Baltimore, which impacts a large number of residents.
In Baltimore City, roughly 41.3 percent of households do not have internet and 31.9 percent do not have a desktop or laptop computer, according to a report by the Abell Foundation.
The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development’s (MONSE) Train Up program will receive 1,000 laptops and one year of free Internet Essentials for each participant for the first two years of the program.
Train Up is part of Baltimore City’s Covid-19 economic recovery strategy. The program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
The program offers job training, financial counseling, adult education, legal services, and behavioral health support to Baltimore City residents.
At the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), the funding will be used to support students who lack resources through the college’s student emergency aid fund. The laptops will go to students enrolled in the college’s certificate and adult literacy education programs.
“With free and low-cost Internet available to every Baltimorean, we need to collectively focus on driving broadband adoption by ensuring everyone has the know-how and tools to get online,” said Michael Parker, senior vice president for Comcast’s Beltway Region, in a statement.
