Welfare recipients train as computer programmers



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November 27, 1998

Web posted at: 12:17 p.m. EST (1717 GMT)

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Virginia (CNN) -- When she was as low as she thought she could go, welfare recipient Rosslin Davis found herself going high-tech.

Davis is part of an experimental welfare program that is turning the down-and-out into computer programmers to help tackle the year 2000 bug.

Called TekAid, the program combines the resources of Virginia Tech, the government and Mitretek -- a technology think tank.

Davis, a widowed mother of four, had lost her job in a department store and her house before she was chosen to join the first group of 51 welfare recipients to undergo TekAid's intensive, two-month training.

"It's not so hard for me, because I really want to know how to debug a computer," said Davis, who has already received one job offer.

Davis said her children are as excited as she is about her progress.

Davis, a widow, is raising four children

"I promised my son, Joshua, when I started that every day I would teach him what I learned, and we've been doing that every night," she said. "So he's going to be the youngest programmer ever."

Suzanne Blevins, a divorced mother of five, said she was unable to support herself before going through the TekAid training. She recently accepted a job with Computer Science Corporation after meeting with company recruiters at a TekAid job fair.

TekAid "helped me to find a better career so I can become self-sufficient and not have to be on the welfare system," Blevins said.

Employers are also praising the program.

"I think these folks, once you get them, would be more loyal to you than folks who take life and everything for granted," said Pat Pascucci, a recruiter for American Systems Corporation.

Correspondent Ann Kellan contributed to this report.