Franklin Certified as Women-Owned Small Business

(Baltimore – December 14, 2022) – Franklin Apprenticeships, the national tech apprenticeship company, today announced certification from the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce as a USWCC Federal: Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB). The certification is awarded to United States small businesses that are at least 51% owned and managed by women.  

“Expanding the diversity of the American workforce has been at the heart of Franklin’s mission from the very beginning,” said Kimberly Nichols, CEO and Founder of Franklin Apprenticeships. “We are delighted to receive this certification and support the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce as champions for women-owned small businesses nationwide.” 

Nichols founded Franklin in 2016, building on two decades of experience in business development as a CPA and finance leader in Fortune 1000 companies. Franklin’s Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Jackie Griffin, is also a senior executive with extensive experience in large corporations in the Insurance and Financial Services industry.  

Through their leadership, Franklin has grown into a thriving small business, serving a client list of more than 25 Fortune 500 and large corporations, and helping individuals nationwide to build foundational technology skills through training and tech apprenticeship programs.  

“Our driving motivation has always been twofold,” explained Griffin. “To open a new way for people from underrepresented communities to launch rewarding tech careers while also solving an urgent business need to recruit and retain diverse talent.”   

By removing the requirements for college degrees and prior experience in tech, Franklin has supported thousands of people from all different backgrounds to launch tech careers. Franklin’s candidate pool is comprised of 34% women, much higher than the industry average for the occupations Franklin offers, including cybersecurity, help desk, IBM Z, software engineering and network engineering. Many of these candidates choose Franklin because of the support the company provides to women who are changing careers and juggling caregiving responsibilities. 

In addition to women founders, Franklin’s leadership team is nearly two-thirds female and the company is dedicated to being an inclusive employer. 

 “A diverse team generates more creativity, more debate, and ultimately better decision-making,” Nichols declared. “Diversity is not a nice to have, it is a business imperative.”