Guest Commentator: Monique Gaillard, MSW, Business Development Specialist, and Mary Gastner, CPPM, Marketing Director, Education and Outreach, Tech Impact @Tech_Impact
How does increased access to technology create opportunities for professional growth in underrepresented communities?
Virtually (pun intended) everything we do requires a tech touch point, from ordering food at our favorite restaurant to choosing the fastest route to pick it up. Although the use of technology extends to most members of our communities, the creators of this technology are not as far-reaching, which presents an opportunity for professional growth in underrepresented communities. IT apprenticeships remove common barriers to entering the tech industry and provide a solution to diversifying the tech workforce.
CompTIA's State of the Tech Workforce Report informs that the Philadelphia Metropolitan area boasts a $33.1 billion economic impact in the tech sector with 7,068 tech business establishments and 90,556 tech industry jobs. Registered IT apprenticeships are an industry-driven workplace training model focused on preparing high-level tech talent. The earn-as-you-learn approach of apprenticeships can be a critical pathway for historically marginalized communities to earn a family-sustaining wage career. With a severe tech talent labor shortage, many employers are turning towards registered IT apprenticeships to develop their workforce and reconsidering qualifications previously required for job applicants.
Creating opportunities for underserved communities extends beyond training and expands to employers. Tech Impact and a coalition led by nonprofit organizations the Ad Council and Opportunity@Work recently launched Tear the Paper Ceiling. The public service announcement campaign calls on businesses and decision-makers to remove the barriers blocking 50% of workers in the U.S. from accessing equitable job opportunities. It aims to create opportunities for upward mobility for the more than 70 million workers in the U.S. who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs). These paths can include community college, workforce training, boot camps, certificate programs, military service, apprenticeships, or on-the-job learning rather than a bachelor's degree. Today, STARs face a "paper ceiling" – the invisible barrier that comes at every turn for workers without a bachelor's degree. The campaign highlights both the historical challenges facing STARs in the labor market and the skills and experience they bring to their careers.
As part of National Apprenticeship Week (November 14-20), Tech Impact will be making the case for the Metro Area to build its workforce through apprenticeships and is calling upon employers to reconsider STARs for open tech positions.
More About the Chamber’s DEI Initiatives
The Chamber positions diversity, equity, and inclusion as critical for business maturation and growth. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives drive economic competitiveness, highlights diverse employee populations, and promotes inclusive growth throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.
Upcoming Event
Women in the Workplace: The "Great Breakup"
Tuesday, December 14, 2022 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Virtual Event
Join us as we welcome Dr. Pooja Kumar, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company, and co-author of the Women in the Workplace 2022, who will share the report's findings. Dr. Kumar will guide you through the reasons behind this shift in thinking, describe its impact, and open your eyes to what it could mean for the next generation of women leaders.
Following the presentation, a panel of leading experts will discuss what regional employers, small and large, can do to support the advancement of women's careers today and in the future, ultimately cultivating a strong pipeline of female leadership for years to come.
