Demystifing Tech Careers: Industry-Driven Transparency for Expanding Access to the New Economy
Summary
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and/or the National Economic Council and Department of Labor should convene a Transparent Tech Training Alliance, a coalition of public and private sector leaders called to expand access to early tech careers by codifying and communicating industry hiring standards. To meet the economy’s urgent and growing demand for tech workers, innovative educators have developed tens of thousands of short courses and bootcamps to rapidly upskill workers. But this landscape is complicated to navigate, especially for low-wage workers and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who are training and hiring in tech at increasing numbers. Without intervention, this nascent system will exacerbate the divide between the “haves and have nots” of our economy, further endangering the health of our workforce, communities, and businesses.
In response, the Alliance should: (1) make a highly publicized commitment to unprecedented transparency in hiring practices and the annual publication of hiring data; (2) generate a clear, industry-driven guide of certified credentials, career pathways, and funding sources; (3) utilize this guide and more for a prize competition that modernizes CareerOneStop; and (4) reconvene annually to publicize their progress and update resources.
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