Zendesk is excited to announce that two new partners – Nairobits and NPower – have joined its Tech for Good CX Agent Training and Certification program. Tech for Good’s CX Agent Training and Certification program’s mission is to train and credential the customer support agents of the future by partnering with nonprofits that prepare individuals for success in a first job or new career.

New partner Nairobits is a Kenya-based organization that works to enhance the capacity of underserved youth and create opportunities that let them take advantage of the digital age. Nairobits is working with Zendesk Tech for Good to add Zendesk Customer Experience training as a new program track for certification for their students, with plans to train and place at least 15 new Customer Experience Agents by the end of the year.

“Our partnership with Zendesk has benefited our work and our strategic goals,” said Magdalene Wanjugu, Executive Director of Nairobits. “We are excited to introduce the new CX training course to our programming, targeting a broad spectrum of learners. The specific career-readiness skills our students will gain through this program will open up many possibilities for them, and have a lifelong impact.”

NPower is a U.S. nonprofit that offers young adults from underserved communities free technology training and on-the-job experience through local Community Help Desks that help residents and agencies with limited to no access to online digital resources. The organization uses Zendesk to support its Community Help Desk ticketing system in Baltimore, MD. This program gives tech interns quality CX skills to help them move to the next level in their careers. Under the new partnership, Zendesk will provide NPower interns with the chance to be certified by Zendesk, lending credibility and marketability to their skills.

“NPower is proud to have Zendesk as a sponsor and supporter of the national expansion of our Community Help Desk model,” said Matt Velez, NPower’s Executive Director, National Instructors Institute. “Through our partnership with Zendesk, our technicians can provide quality and direct support to our communities in need, while acquiring in-demand skills to build sustainable careers in tech. This is the way forward!”

Tech for Good’s CX Agent Training and Certification program launched in 2021. Zendesk provides partners with free Enterprise suite software and implementation support so nonprofits can use Zendesk as a training tool for their students. Partners prepare relevant instructional courses leveraging Zendesk’s CX Agent Training learning pathway. At the end of the course, Zendesk provides students with a free CX Agent Training Certification Exam and, if they pass, students receive a badge from Credly. As students move from training to job-seeking, Zendesk employee volunteers support them by reviewing resumes, and participating in mock interviews.

“By partnering with nonprofits that serve individuals from previously overlooked and under-utilized communities, we hope to place more job seekers in careers that offer stability and advancement,“ explained Alana Ramo, Zendesk’s Tech for Good Director. “Learning how to be a customer support agent is a fantastic first step on a career ladder, and it’s truly a win-win when companies can hire agents from a pool of talent as diverse as their customer base.”

Click here to watch a short film about Kindwork, one of Tech for Good’s CX Agent Training and Certification partners.