On September 11, 20 armed-forces veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will be the first to graduate from the NPower Dallas Technology Service Corps (TSC), a veteran-focused technology job training program launched in April 2013. Four of these new program graduates have been selected to receive special awards including Dimikio Osbond of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. Ceremonies will be at 5:30 p.m. at the Citi facility at 6400 Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, TX.



Retired Army Master Sergeant Duane Davis, Manager of the Dallas NPower program, said nearly all of the graduates have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, with several having been deployed more than once. These individuals were selected to participate in the TSC program from among 400 initial applicants with the help of several Texas veterans groups, including the Texas Veterans Commission.

In their final seven weeks, the TSC graduates completed apprenticeships with TSC partners, including the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, Deloitte and El Centro College. Support for the program was provided by Bank of America, Citi, Dallas County Community College District, HealthMarkets, HP, JPMorgan Chase, PepsiCo, New York Life and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

The award-winning graduates included Dimikio Osbond, a 14-year Air Force veteran, who will receive the New York Life Commitment to Excellence Award. Osbond was trained in information management technology and served two tours in Iraq. He interned with the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council.

Graduates participated in 15 weeks of intensive class-based training, learning skills such as installing, configuring and troubleshooting computer hardware and software and providing web design and maintenance. Based on the Cisco Networking Academy, this rigorous curriculum prepares program graduates for employment in a range of technology positions, including technical, business and project analysis.

NPower plans to expand the TSC program and launch a new effort in San Francisco to serve more veterans in 2014. For more information, please go to http://www.itbusinessnet.com/article/NPower-Dallas-Technology-Service-Corps-Graduates-First-Class-of-Armed-Forces-Veterans-2797286.