Professional Development

Budding technologists are looking for more ways to build community at work

At Launchpad in Philly, students learn hard tech skills — and push for improved workplace culture.

Programs that make tech careers and entrepreneurship more accessible, like Launchpad, can boost economic mobility. This photo is from fall 2021. (Courtesy Launchpad)

In Philly, young people want more from their tech employers. 

From relatively basic accommodations like language preference policies to big ideas like paid sabbaticals, students at workforce development program Launchpad told companies how they can act on their promises to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Ultimately, however, the big ask these budding technologists have of their future jobs is for more ways to build togetherness at work, said Dannyelle Austin, executive director at Launchpad, on Technical.ly Speaking, a monthly segment on WURD Radio’s “Reality Check,” hosted by Tonya Pendleton. 

“Young people want the human connection, they want the community, they want the culture,” Austin said. 

Launchpad’s Philly programming takes place in person. The students spent the mornings attending their usual high school classes, before learning top tech skills like full stack development, Python and artificial intelligence. 

Then, they put the skills to work with events like pitch competitions, where they’re pushed to be creative and come up with ideas for new tech. 

It’s that feedback loop, relying on the new perspectives of the young people in its programs, that consistently shifts Launchpad’s approach to accommodate emerging needs and interests, according to Austin. 

“The industry is rapidly changing,” Austin said. “One of the beauties of running this first cohort and having young people in the program every single day as we’re building and designing it, is we get to … have a better insight into what they want to learn and how they’re doing with the curriculum that we’re designing.”

Companies: Launchpad / WURD Radio

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