Half a million empty tech jobs…and growing.

Are Apprenticeships the answer? (Yes!)

The great economic news: employment rates are at an all-time high. The terrific news for Americans seeking a career in tech: our country has nearly 9 million available jobs in STEM with some 70% in computers and IT. The downside: more than a half-million of those computing jobs are currently unfilled and projected to grow at twice the rate of all other U.S. jobs. What’s worse, only 64,744 computer science graduates joined the American workforce last year, not even close to what’s needed. California alone is expected to see an overall shortage of an estimated 2.5 million skilled workers by 2025. And the need for a more diversified workforce has been proclaimed loudly and often — but where are these workers going to come from?

Forward-thinking tech companies in Silicon Valley are playing close attention to these ever-widening gaps, seeking answers to that burning question.

Here’s where computer talent won’t be coming from:

The American K-12 school system. U.S. schools are not even remotely keeping pace in filling the need for tech workers. Only 40% of American schools teach computer programming or coding, even though computing jobs are the #1 source of new wages in the U.S.

Other countries. The mounting restrictions on immigration and H-1B visas mean companies are losing access to workers from other countries, adding to the urgency with which tech companies must embrace sustainable alternatives.

U.S. colleges and universities. A four-year degree has become a growing financial burden for many, with student loan debt now totaling more than $1.5 trillion. And diversity rates are also dismal. As an example, my home state of California ranks last for the rate of Latinos awarded engineering and computer science degrees.

What is the solution?

In Silicon Valley we have looked to the past for an answer to our future: apprenticeships. Since the earliest times, skills have been transferred to the next generation via on-the-job training. Today, robust apprenticeship programs are available to incoming workers eager to master well-paying skills in tech.

With the mission of providing real opportunities for workers from diverse social and education backgrounds, a colleague and I have founded the Silicon Valley Apprenticeship Consortium (SVAC), which has just been recognized with significant funding by The James Irvine Foundation. Working in partnership with the Bay Area Council — a non-profit public-policy advocacy organization with a membership of over 330 of the largest employers in the region — SVAC is well on its way in creating opportunities and bridging the equity gap, launching programs piloting and growing technology apprenticeships in the Bay Area for low-income workers without a four-year college degree. Next up is scaling best practices across California by providing a vision for further growth of technology apprenticeships.

I am excited and honored to have the support of The James Irvine Foundation as we work towards shifting the narrative around employment. Giving everyone, regardless of background or education level, an opportunity to learn on the job and prove capability is work democratization — and the future of work.

Many tech leaders I have spoken with agree it is more than time to disrupt our traditional hiring models and talent pipeline and follow suit. The tech sector is well-suited to middle-skills jobs, which require more training and/or education than high school but less than a college degree. In fact, experts now agree that “degree inflation” has become a problem: companies often require a degree for jobs that can be performed without one. This practice widens skills gaps and increases costs and can leave employers overpaying for people whose talents are underutilized.

Tech apprenticeships are earn-while-you-learn programs that provide on-the-job training and mentoring from an employer and role-related classroom instruction from a community college, technical college, or computer “boot camp.” Because they can be customized to a company’s needs, businesses can quickly adapt to technology changes. All apprentices must meet standards for completion, typically hours of both employer-provided and classroom training, as well as demonstration of skills gained. Apprentices are paid throughout, with wages that increase as skills are mastered, providing an economically viable career path to stable, high-demand occupations.

Many hurdles must be overcome before our country prepares our citizens, adequately and equally, for computer jobs, and tech companies must participate in addressing those long-term hurdles. But right now, we can reach people before they become employees, to open the top of the funnel and provide the greatest opportunity to the broadest group of diverse talent. It’s not just about our responsibility as corporate citizens. We need more talent than our current talent strategies can target. We have to change if we are to survive.

I urge my colleagues at forward-looking tech companies to join us in examining apprenticeships as a key strategy. More information about the Silicon Valley Apprentice Consortium available here: https://svapprenticeship.com/

Silicon Valley Apprenticeship Consortium was co-founded by Jenny Dearborn, Actionable Analytics Group CEO and former Executive Vice President, Human Resources at SAP, and Lauren Fernandez, Silicon Valley HR leader. SVAC is composed of San Francisco Bay Area thought leaders and organizations representing a cross section of major industry sectors, dedicated to the belief that there are many ways to develop and recruit talent. Major companies already partnering with SVAC include firms such as Dropbox, Lyft, Pandora, Airbnb, Adobe, Facebook, and many others.