Merit America supports unemployed adults, and those earning low wages, into higher salary roles in the technology sector. The programme provides flexible pathways for those without college degrees, which combine training for in-demand careers with coaching and peer support, both in person and online. To recruit the participants who can benefit most from the programme, Merit partners with a range of organisations serving low-income communities.

At the other end of the chain, Merit connects with firms such as Google, Amazon and IBM to place its participants into well-paid employment opportunities in the tech sector.

The Hg Foundation’s grant supports the data, analytics and evaluation capacity of Merit America. This will help Merit to understand and refine its impact; to make its case to other partners; and to underpin the growth of the organisation from reaching 2,500 learners today to 40,000 by 2026.