Back in March, the White House unveiled a new plan to connect tech companies with qualified candidates in an effort to fill thousands of vacant positions. President Barack Obama succinctly described the motivation for the initiative at the National League of Cities annual conference this year. “When these tech jobs go unfilled, it’s a missed opportunity for low-wage workers who could transform their earnings potential with just a little bit of training,” said Obama. “And that costs our whole economy in terms of lost wages in productivity.”
The president is concerned that people aren’t being trained fast enough to meet the enormous demand for professionals in tech sectors. In an effort to kick-start the process, the White House has partnered with 21 communities from around the country to make tech jobs more accessible to potential candidates. Thus far, they’ve committed $100 million in grant money to the program.
They’re working to provide interested parties with access to accelerated training programs such as Dev Bootcamp, Hack Reactor, Treehouse Island and Udacity that can provide participants with the skills they need to get into tech jobs in months rather than years. In particular, the White House hopes to target communities that would otherwise not have access to these jobs such as low-income neighborhoods and places with large immigrant populations. The Initiative also aims to refocus the hiring practices of tech companies, encouraging them to focus on a candidate’s experience and willingness to learn rather than relying on college degrees as the sole metrics for evaluating a candidate’s qualifications.
Here at CSS, we’re thrilled to hear that a number of the 21 communities participating in the initiative are within our staffing network. Among these are Philadelphia, San Francisco and San Antonio. It’s an exciting prospect for many people who have, until now, lacked access to the training they need to be successful in tech jobs. Whether you’re a tech company struggling to fill vacant positions or a job seeker hoping to get your foot in the door of this in-demand industry, CSS is here to help. Contact us today for more information.