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When Allena started college, she had a gut feeling she couldn't quite explain: a pull toward the stories hiding inside spreadsheets and datasets. What she didn't have was a clear path to turn that instinct into a career. AOT’s Tech Skills Fellowship Program changed that.
Allena isn't alone. This spring, America On Tech wrapped its fourth annual Tech Skills Fellowship - and this year, the program went bigger, deeper, and further than ever before. A Bolder Program for a Competitive WorldAI and a rapidly shifting hiring landscape are reshaping what it means to be a competitive early-career technologist. AOT's answer? Go deeper.
This year, we made a bold move: replacing our traditional series of shorter tracks with two intensive, year-long programs in the fields where employer demand is highest - Data Science and Cybersecurity. Twenty weeks of sustained technical training. Real, industry-recognized certifications. A professional network that grows with you. And for the first time ever, the Data Science Fellowship expanded to the West Coast, opening 25 dedicated seats for talent in Los Angeles. Impact Number:
Inside the TracksData Science
In partnership with NBCUniversal and FactSet, fellows dove deep into Python, data manipulation, visualization, and foundational machine learning through the DataCamp curriculum. Fellows also built technical portfolios, real projects, and the DataCamp Data Science Associate Certification exam. The results speak for themselves. 95% of fellows reported mastering core data science concepts. Of those who've already sat for the exam, 83% passed, with more graduates still testing as the summer rolls on.
For Allena, now applying to internships with a certification and a portfolio to back her up, the program didn't just teach her Python. It made the career feel reachable. "I am now actively applying to internships with a clearer direction, an added certification, and a readiness I did not have before. This fellowship was not just a learning experience - it was a stepping stone that made the path forward feel real and within reach." - Allena O Cybersecurity
In partnership with NBCUniversal and Blackstone, fellows learned about network architecture, threat detection, encryption, access control, and incident response - all building toward the globally recognized CompTIA Security+ Certification. Every fellow who sat for the exam reported feeling exceptionally prepared going in. The program's capstone said it all: a two-week tabletop exercise led by NBCUniversal's corporate security team, where fellows stepped into the role of security analysts responding to a live, evolving cyber threat. No hand-holding. Just the skills they'd spent a year building - applied in real time.
106 Volunteers. Real Relationships.Some of the most powerful moments in this fellowship happened because of who showed up.
106 corporate volunteers from NBCUniversal, FactSet, Blackstone, Chime, and L'Oréal led technical workshops, mock interviews, resume reviews, and candid career conversations that helped fellows connect their coursework to real career possibilities. "My favorite part was the Wednesday Volunteer Workshop sessions," said Yemaya F., LA-based Data Science Fellow. "It brought so much insight as to what different roles in the same industry look like, and I was able to create real connections with the guest speakers." Career-Ready From Day OneKnowing Python won't get you hired if you can't tell your story. That's why every fellow also completed a 10-module career readiness series, earning an Accenture Professional Development Certificate along the way, with 100% completion rate across both tracks.
Fellows worked on LinkedIn presence, resume writing, interviewing, and how to translate technical work into language that makes hiring managers pay attention. They were also grouped by school or city, so the connections they built weren't just professional contacts - they were people already sitting in the same classrooms.
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