By Doug Frisbie, Director of Global Customer Marketing, North America
We are excited to be in Chicago at the second US Boost with Facebook event of 2019, where we’re hosting two days of in-person trainings for entrepreneurs, small business owners and job seekers.
77% of small businesses on Facebook in Illinois say that an individual’s social and digital media skills are important when hiring new employees. Through Boost with Facebook, we want to continue to train more people and equip them with the skills they need to grow their companies and find new jobs.
This time last year, we announced partnerships with two local organizations focused on digital skills training, Chicago Codes and City Colleges of Chicago. Together, we’re kicking off these programs this summer, helping to create a tech-ready workforce here in Chicago.
- Chicago Codes: We teamed up with Chicago Cook Workforce to fund 50 coding scholarships for students to learn web and mobile development. The first cohort of students began coursework in Chicago’s South Side on June 3. Upon completion of the 11-week bootcamp, students will be able to pursue careers in software and web development.
- City Colleges: Since announcing our partnership last year, we’ve been working with Chicago City Colleges to expand their digital marketing curriculum for students. The new curriculum, which consists of six courses covering topics like social media marketing, content strategy and branding, is kicking off July 29 at Harold Washington College. Graduates will be able to offer immediate value to businesses in their local communities and beyond.
New Blueprint Courses for Small Businesses
We’re also focused on making digital skills training accessible for small businesses. That’s why we’ve created 22 new, free courses on topics like ‘How Instagram Can Help Your Business’ and ‘Facebook Ads and Your Business Goals.’ The new curriculum features 40% video content and 80 new lessons, each condensed to five minutes or less to maximize efficiency. These lessons will be available at facebook.com/blueprint at the end of the month in English, and in 33 additional languages by the end of the year.
We know that when small businesses look to hire, people with digital skills are in highest demand. By preparing the workforce in Chicago – and communities around the world – with the resources they need to gain these skills, we hope to give businesses the resources they need to grow.