Funding the next generation of network engineers
Meter Grants fund up to $2,000 for people early in their networking journey: certifications, courses, study materials, and lab equipment.
The internet runs on networks, and networks run on people who know how to build them.
But that talent is dwindling. A quarter of today’s network engineers are expected to retire within the next five years. At the same time, demand for networks is growing faster than it ever has. As a networking company, we see this shift up close every day in our hiring efforts, our customer deployments, and the networks we operate.
Why it’s hard to get started
There’s no “Hello, World!” for networking. It takes years to master the craft. You need to interact with real gear, break things, and figure out how to put them back together. That means lab equipment, courses, and exam fees. And typically, you need to pay for all of this before anyone actually pays you to do any of the work.
That’s where we want to help.
Introducing: Meter Grants
Meter Grants fund up to $2,000 to get started in networking: certifications and exam vouchers, courses, study materials, and lab equipment.
Grants are for technologists early in their networking journey who are serious about pursuing it. That includes students, career switchers, self-taught learners, and people working toward their first certification. You don’t need a degree, a tech job, or prior experience. If you’re the curious, committed type who’s wiring up a home lab on the weekend, this is for you.
The application is short. Tell us what you want to learn, why, and exactly what you’d spend the grant on. The more concrete, the better: the specific course that will deepen your understanding, or the lab gear you need to tinker with. Grants are open to applicants located in the US.
Just the start
We believe in the power of the internet. It’s our job to build and run the networks behind it, so we’re intimately aware of the skills needed to understand how they actually work, and how few people are coming up to do it. We want to help close that gap.
Meter Grants are a first step. We expect to roll out more programs, training, and community-building efforts within the year, and we’ll share more as they come together.
If you’re curious about networking and ready to get started, apply for a grant. Questions, ideas, feedback? Get in touch at hello@meter.com.