NERDiT Now Tech Apprenticeship

NERDiT Now is a minority-owned, for-profit technology repair business in Wilmington, Delaware that is committed to building a registered IT apprenticeship in which NERDiT technical support professionals mentor resident-apprentices in computer diagnostics and repair. Our primary goal is to create a highly-qualified workforce for NERDiT-Wilmington and subsequent franchises in other metropolitan locations. Our secondary goal is to curate an experience for apprentices that develops their whole mindset while also addressing the increasing technology skills gap. The NERDiT founders believe in developing access to technology for everyone by giving back to the community that has given so much to NERDiT. With funding, NERDiT proposes to build out an employment ecosystem of high-demand, higher-paying jobs for people from marginalized communities who have the ambition to learn and grow. Through subsidized franchising, this model can grow to other communities similar to Wilmington, thereby creating higher median income jobs for marginalized communities.

NERDiT is working to solve the issue of affordable training leading to sustainable employment for residents in marginalized communities. To that end, NERDiT is starting with its own Wilmington community. According to the 2016 US Census Bureau American Community Survey, over one in four residents in Wilmington lives at or below the poverty line (26.1%). Since that data was compiled, COVID-19 has hit the Wilmington economy hard, resulting in over 19,100 initial claims for unemployment as of the week ending March 28, 2020. To give a sense of what increases we’re seeing, the week ending March 30, 2019, resulted in only 425 unemployment claims. Over 68% of the Wilmington community is black or brown, which brings a new set of concerns when we look at how COVID-19 has impacted communities of color. This compounds the very relevant lack of higher-paying, stable jobs available to Wilmington residents. Finally, when we analyze data regarding education, only one-third of residents completes an associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree. Based on those statistics, job prospects and earning potential are limited with only a high school diploma; the median income is $27,496. This continues to perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

Our solution is to build a supportive apprenticeship model that recruits and trains residents from marginalized communities to learn technical support skills that will ensure sustainable employment in a high-demand, high-paying sector. Our model deviates from other workforce development models because we place a very heavy focus on mindset coaching while developing the technical skillset. Our model includes strong technical mentorship, on-the-job learning, focused IT training, stackable credentialing, and our secret sauce -- supportive one-on-one coaching. Over the course of 15 months, every apprentice will complete a 252-hour pre-apprenticeship, 2000 hours of hands-on technical support, 221 additional hours of technical training, 60 hours of one-on-one coaching, and will earn between 3 and 11 industry-required technical certifications through CompTIA, Cisco, and/or Amazon. Training is delivered through a hybrid model that includes a learning management system and on-site technical instruction and mentoring. Apprentices are employed, earning a livable wage throughout their experience. This is a huge benefit for the apprentice, who is able to earn while learning. This also positively impacts the local economy because the apprentice is able to contribute to that economy using their wages.

Wilmington’s young adults, between the ages of 18 and 24, who are unemployed or underemployed, eligible for SNAP, SSI, and/or TANF benefits, may have a criminal background, and likely do not have a higher degree, are who NERDiT is targeting for this apprenticeship model. The founder of NERDiT Now, Markevis Gideon, is very well versed in the needs of the Wilmington community in which he was raised and returned to in order to build his business. Markevis will serve as one of two on-site mentors in the initial stages of development. This apprenticeship will work intimately with the Wilmington community to address barriers to employment that typically sabotage a person’s ability to maintain full-time employment. The apprenticeship staff will seek to mitigate those barriers by including funding to address childcare, transportation, food insecurity, rent assistance when needed, record expungement, and other factors that can impact successfully maintaining a job. We will also include intensive coaching that addresses emotional agility; habits, self-talk, learning strategies, and mindset. Apprentices will be engaged and heard every step of the way because of the high level of interaction infused throughout; including 3+ sessions a week to engage with a coach, mentor, or technical tutor.

If the option were available, we would choose all three areas of alignment. As of June 2020, NERDiT is a 4-year-old small business in the untapped community of Wilmington that supports four pre-apprentices by equipping them with technological skills needed to stay apace with the changing job market. We do this while also managing the business, computer recycling, and community computer donations. Right now, we're doing this on a very small scale, yet plan to grow exponentially in the next five years. In fact, our business plan was featured on Shark Tank in October of 2019!

Upon meeting Markevis Gideon, one thing is certain. His personality is infectious. That's how he has been able to successfully build a computer repair store in Wilmington, Delaware. Markevis attracts energy and that's why his ideas are innovative. He doesn't just want to build more NERDiT Nows regionally and nationally. He wants to to pay it forward and backward. His battery is recharged every time he helps someone learn. He understands that a skill is good but confidence and self worth is, in many ways, more impactful. He sees his business as a platform for systemic change that will lead to sustainable, full-time employment. Markevis' innovation is "community skilling." He's not building NERDiT Now and future franchises to take from marginalized communities. He's building NERDiT to construct a pathway to higher-paying, higher-demand jobs. He's building an incubation system where people with barriers to employment can learn while earning an income; and it's being done through kinesthetic, auditory, and visual experiences, not just the classroom. He's building NERDiT so that he can develop an engaging, positive, hopeful work space where others can feel safe and nourished.

The concept of computer repair and donation is not innovative. What's innovative is the ideology that there is enough to support everyone. Relying on an apprenticeship model, diverse funding, and a method of empowering people to feel good about themselves and their work everyday, we can change the system locally, regionally, and nationally.

NERDiT has spent the last 4 years building a model that provides two key services to Wilmington residents and businesses; technology repair services and a computer refurbishing and donation program. In the next phase of growth, NERDiT is applying to be certified as the first technology recycling company in Delaware (R2 certification). This is important for the model for two reasons: 1) NERDiT proposes to further develop the refurbishing and donation program utilizing some donated equipment and 2) the R2 certification will serve as a revenue model to further build out and support the pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. Finally, building a pre-apprenticeship workforce will give, NERDiT the ability to refurbish more computers to donate to Wilmington residents while also engaging pre-apprentices in hands-on training using real equipment such as PC desktop computers and laptops, iPhone and Android phones, various tablet models and gaming consoles. Our model is blending three valuable components around technology; recycling, social services, and the act of building social capital.

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Our theory of change simply dictates that high quality, individualized technical and mindset/mindfulness training will properly prepare people from disadvantaged communities for technical careers in so much that a subset of each training cohort will continue on to our entrepreneurial track where they will learn how to open and operate their own NERDiT franchise. Our inputs include an intensive, 12-week pre-apprenticeship experience, during which 6 participants will receive 299 hours of technical training/hands-on work and 53 hours of coaching/mindset training. The expected output is that 5 pre-apprentices will achieve 3 out of 4 technical certifications. The expected short-term outcome is that 5 pre-apprentices will move on to our paid apprenticeship program, thereby ending their unemployment or underemployment circumstances. 

Our next set of inputs includes a 52-week apprenticeship experience as a NERDiT employee, during which participants will receive 281 hours of technical training and mindset coaching, 2000 hours of guided on-the-job training. The expected outputs include two areas of focus; a technically trained workforce with the coping skills to manage day-to-day challenges in their workspace, and the addition of at least 1 apprentice graduate to the NERDiT’s entrepreneurship/franchise track. The expected short-term outcome is that 5 apprentices will achieve an additional 1-7 technical certifications and remain employed as NERDiT technicians. Long-term, these two outcomes will continue to reduce unemployment or underemployment in a community that experiences very high rates of unemployment/underemployment.

Current = 4 pre-apprentices

Year 1 = 97 pre-apprentices & apprentices

Year 5 = 485 pre-apprentices & apprentices

NERDiT Now was founded by Markevis Gideon. Markevis was born and raised in Wilmington, DE. At the age of 12, he was given his first computer to repair. He instantly fell in love with technology, and the skills he learned while working on computers helped him build a career as an entrepreneur. Based on Markevis’ experience, his goal within the next year is to open two more NERDiT locations; another in Wilmington and one in West Philadelphia. Both locations will offer the pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship models for developing residents in those communities who have barriers to employment. In the next five years, Markevis would like to extend to the Baltimore area and start expanding west, with at least 3-5 more NERDiT franchised businesses. NERDiT will continue to build its budget and resources so that all locations can serve residents through community skilling and employment efforts.

When NERDiT visited ABC’s Shark Tank on October 27, 2019, they asked the sharks for financial support to franchise their mobile repair operation. Unfortunately, the sharks did not bite because NERDiT was perceived as not having enough of a workforce to support their model. As a result, NERDiT is building that workforce and doing so by training and employing residents in their community. To successfully open more NERDiT locations that serve communities experiencing high rates of unemployment/underemployment, NERDiT requires more financial backing to train their workforce, franchise NERDiTs in regional and national markets, and train the owners/operators of those NERDiT franchises.

NERDiT has developed a team to help in constructing the funding model, sustaining funding, and training pre-apprentices and apprentices. That team includes Social Contract, a leading Delaware consultancy working to effect social change across the workforce development landscape. Social Contract will continue to lend its experience and expertise to ensure the pre- apprenticeship program incorporates cutting-edge best practices aligned with Delaware’s overarching workforce strategy and that pre-apprentices have access to all barrier-busting support services they require. The team also includes Beth St. Clair, the co-developer of one of the oldest, continuously operating IT apprenticeship programs in the United States. Beth will help construct the IT pre-apprenticeship/apprenticeship and secure funding resources.  Finally, the team includes JobWorks, a training consultancy that provides high-quality, customized training for disadvantaged communities.

2 full-time employees

4 part-time employees

5 consultants

Markevis Gideon knows what goes into starting a socially responsible business, having launched and incorporated NERDiT Now over 4 years ago. He also knows, first-hand, what is required to prepare for IT certifications, having achieved his first CompTIA IT certification at the age of 15. Markevis is a serial entrepreneur who has started four businesses; three in the US and one in China. 

 Jake Vorhees is Markevis’ business partner and brings his knowledge as an engineer, speaker, YouTube personality, TEDx producer, and world-traveled videographer. Jake serves as the Marketing Director for NERDiT.

 Social Contract brings a team of consultants to help develop sustainable workforce strategies, funding, and program goals. 

 Beth St. Clair recently joined the team to help develop the NERDiT IT pre-apprenticeship/apprenticeship model that will serve in developing apprentices for employment as technicians. During her 18 years of experience in IT apprenticeship and coaching/development, she has served over 590 apprentices. With her comes the support of JobWorks, a leading workforce development training provider that will train the pre-apprentices/apprentices in technical certification content.

NERDiT is partnering with Social Contract for progressive workforce development advisement in Delaware. 

NERDiT is working with Beth St. Clair and JobWorks to develop the most engaging, impactful, energetic, and focused IT training mindset coaching. 

NERDiT also works with several local businesses and companies from which NERDiT secures computer donations for repair and donation.

NERDiT purchases, repairs, and sells computers and tablets. NERDiT repairs equipment for individual clients as well as local businesses. Using their "Motherboard," a retrofitted ambulance, NERDiT is able to perform income-generating repairs around Wilmington at businesses, large events, and in smaller communities. NERDiT is also applying to become the first certified computer recycler in the state of Delaware (R2C) and has projected that the income generated from that service will be able to sustain their current operations. 

NERDiT serves Wilmington and the surrounding community. Their mobility takes them from ChristianaCare to smaller neighborhoods throughout Wilmington such as Hockessin, Little Italy, Quaker Hill, and Talleyville. NERDiT's home base of operation is where refurbishing happens but the Motherboard and kiosks help get their services out to locations where people typically would not have access to this type of customized technical support. There isn't a location NERDiT won't serve because they understand the frustration people feel when their equipment becomes damaged or ruined.

NERDiT has a three-pronged approach for generating financial sustainability; client repairs, recycling, and fundraising. 

NERDiT has been performing client repairs for the last 4+ years. Repairs continue to sustain the business operations and staff. 

NERDiT is applying to become the first R2 certified (technology recycling) business in the state of Delaware. Funds from that service will be used to support the business operations and staff. 

NERDiT has been working with Social Contract to develop a fundraising strategy that braids together federal, state, and local sources, as well as foundations and private philanthropy. As a result, Barclays has verbally agreed to invest $100,000 in the apprenticeship model. An additional $60,000 is projected from the DE Department of Labor.

When we came across the MIT Solve Challenge, we got excited about the community of peers and mentorship that Solve can commit to recipients. Yes, we were equally excited about the potential funding, but it was more important to us to find a community of problem solvers and a network of support. We understand how important it is to find and cultivate those relationships. 

Solve can help NERDiT by brokering funding that will launch the IT apprenticeship. Solve can also help by giving NERDiT the opportunity to pitch this model to an audience of 400+ leaders. We know that, if given the opportunity, we can make positive, long lasting connections that will move the needle forward. 

NERDiT's first concern is build the funding that will drive the apprenticeship forward. Funding will pay for training, technology, space, staff time, and apprentice/pre-apprentice wages & benefits. NERDiT's next concern is to market this model in the Wilmington community and other neighboring metropolitan communities such as Philadelphia and Baltimore. Finally, NERDiT has been trying to develop their board in tandem with building their model. Assistance in building a board would be greatly appreciated.

If those three key areas are developed, NERDiT feels strongly that they will be able to increase their service distribution because they will have the workforce developed to do so.

NERDiT would welcome assistance from any key MIT faculty or Solve Members that the Solve team feels could support our mission and service.

NERDiT recognizes the disparity we see in technology for women. Our goal is to recruit at least 40% women into our workforce. Ultimately, we would like to see a high portion of women trained not only in computer/tablet repair but also as NERDiT franchise owners. We will use the Innovation for Women Prize to further build out the pre-apprenticeship to include female middle and high school students.

NERDiT's ultimate goal is to franchise its model. To that end, we are developing an academy that prepares apprentices to become NERDiT franchise owners. We would use the prize to build out our curriculum and secure our training staff. Based on the experience Markevis had in building the original NERDiT Now, we feel we can replicate that experience in our academy.

NERDiT mentors love teaching and have made it their mission to develop an easy-to-digest curriculum that builds technical skill and mindset. NERDiT's model can bring that to other communities where adults struggle to utilize technology for its intended benefits.