How the Tech Council of Delaware is building an inclusive tech talent pipeline

Technical.ly is a free news resource thanks to financial supporters like Tech Council of Delaware, a Technical.ly client, which sponsored this article. It was reviewed before publication. Learn more about Tech Council of Delaware here. This article was originally published as part of the Tech Council Chronicle magazine.

On its mission to turn Delaware into a thriving tech hub, the Tech Council of Delaware is laying the groundwork to build and scale an inclusive tech talent pipeline within the state’s underrepresented communities. 

To do so, the Council has united tech workforce and training providers from across the state through its Tech Talent & Workforce Committee. Members of the committee convene monthly to highlight their programs, brainstorm solutions, share ideas and create actionable steps. 

“As a workforce committee, we agree that awareness and promotion of career fields and opportunities is the first step to diversifying our tech workforce,” said Ariel Almondo, a work-based learning transition specialist at the Smyrna School District, “followed by awareness of the various training options that open doors to these careers.” 

Collaborating to create community and avoid duplication

Delaware has many passionate and dedicated tech workforce and training providers. What the Council has done is provide a platform where they can work together, in-person and virtually, to advance their mutual goals for creating inclusivity in the Delaware tech industry. 

Some of the programs deliver similar offerings, but rather than seeing one another as competitors, members of the committee are instead combining their skills and services to create a hub of access and opportunity. 

“Our work is very collaborative by nature,” said Vic Wang, director of non-credit programs in the University of Delaware’s division of professional and continuing studies. “The committee allows us to highlight the educational programs we offer and how they contribute to the growth of inclusivity in our tech community, address needs in the tech workplace and create the programs to develop that education.”

Case in point: Coding bootcamp Zip Code Wilmington recently worked with Year Up — a one-year, tuition free training program ensuring equitable access to economic opportunities for 18-29-year-olds — to make the Zip Code curriculum more accessible for underserved groups who wouldn’t otherwise be prepared for the bootcamp. 

“The committee does a good job of bringing providers together so that we can work to complement one another,” said Shana Washington, program coordinator in the University of Delaware’s division of professional and continuing studies. “We want to have resources that support a variety of needs, not five versions of the same program.”

Filling in the gaps with partnerships and referral programs

Identifying gaps in Delaware’s tech workforce and training programs is an important part of the Tech Talent & Workforce Committee’s work. 

Members of the committee work with corporate partners to keep tabs on the skills students and career seekers need to secure high-wage employment and ensure their programs are delivering on those needs. This not only creates more effective training programs, but a more diverse talent pipeline that is confident and prepared to enter the workforce. 

Since connecting on the committee, Wilmington University and Delaware Technical Community College — the only community college in the state — recently updated their connected technology degrees with a revised curriculum. 

“This collaboration now provides a seamless transfer of credits for our information technology and networking associate grads going on to pursue a bachelor degree at Wilmington University,” said Michelle R. Garey, collegewide academic director of information technology and networking at Delaware Technical Community College. “Since working on the Tech Council together, I feel the relationship has strengthened and more conversations around our two programs have developed.”

Understanding what other providers in the state offer has enabled members of the committee to refer students and career changers to the programs best suited to their needs. 

“The more we understand one another’s programs and how they help our audience, the better we can recommend people to their services,” said Dan Holland, account director at Year Up. “We can also help them elevate their skills by guiding them from one program onto another.”

Almondo, the K-12 work-based learning specialist, has been sharing information with the committee about the Delaware Pathways system and how it prepares students for the workforce during their high school years. 

“These pathways, along with the certifications and dual-enrollment opportunities that they offer, bridge the gap between secondary education and higher-level training,” Almondo said.

Getting employers involved early benefits both sides

Together as a collective, the committee is also helping state employers understand how to get involved in building the talent pipeline. 

Some of the programs, like Year Up, engage corporations to provide internships and create better runways for students they hadn’t yet had the opportunity to work with. Year Up’s program includes a six month learning and development phase, followed by a six month internship with a participating corporation. In the last two years, 67% of their interns have converted their internships into full-time employment, according to Year Up.

“We’re not just introducing youth to other pathways previously unavailable to them, we’re also introducing nontraditional talent to companies that will benefit from their talents,” said Wang, of UDel’s division of professional and continuing studies.

Similarly, the Delaware Technical Community College works closely with the Delaware Office of Work-Based Learning and its own information technology and networking advisory committee to secure internships with local tech employers. 

“We are fortunate that many of them not only host our students as interns, but also give us valuable input on our curriculum to make it stronger,” said Garey, the collegewide IT director.

Many members of the Tech & Talent Workforce Committee partner with employers to create projects with real world applications and to host students as interns, but are continually looking for new ways to involve corporations more deeply. 

Bringing it all together with a new online training exploration tool

With the help of its members, the Tech Council of Delaware is laying the digital bricks to build a platform where aspiring technologists can explore their options, and discover the growing educational and workplace opportunities of the local tech ecosystem.

“We’re hoping to develop a sort of digital concierge service, where people can say, ‘This is the job I want, how do I get there?’” Wang said. 

“Then, we as the training providers can say, ‘Here are the requirements to get that job, here are the educational and training opportunities in which you can gain the required skills, and here are the current job openings.’”

For young students or career changers who don’t yet know what they want to pursue, the Council is an all-encompassing resource to help them understand and navigate the opportunities that exist and the pathways toward making them a reality.

“Previously, Delaware didn’t have a platform or a resource for people seeking a way into tech,” Wang said. “The Tech Council of Delaware is doing an amazing job of putting this together, and bringing the right people together, to create awareness and access for all.”

See the full Tech Council Chronicle publication here.