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Hello! It’s Rebecca Redelmeier with Chalkbeat Philly.

Daniel Johnson, 20, enrolled in a tech training program right after he graduated high school in 2024. He now has a portfolio of work and strong references. He applies to jobs about once a week. But the market for his skills seems to be nonexistent.

“I never get a single email back,” he told me this week. “I don't even think I've received a rejection.”

The program he trained in, called Launchpad Philly, began in 2022 by teaching high school students and recent graduates coding skills. Now it’s responding to the challenging tech job market by overhauling its curriculum to give participants skills in AI.

Read the full story here.

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