The federal government’s blind spot for recruiting tech professionals leaves behind thousands of qualified young talent

Not only are the job titles outdated, but the college degree requirements must also be re-assessed, making room for individuals with skills from nontraditional backgrounds.

A recent article in Slate took my breath away, and not in a good way. The piece was brilliant but the issues it illuminated were dismaying to say the least. The article underscored the urgent need to “revamp” the Federal tech workforce – and commit to diversifying it -- given that over 50% of those holding tech jobs will retire over the next 10 years. This means that thousands of tech jobs will be available for young tech savvy individuals eager for stable jobs and excited to use their skills to advance how technology is used throughout the federal system.

It should be simple to fill these jobs, but as the piece points out, it’s not.

There are serious challenges that exist to filling federal tech jobs, most prominently is the fact that job titles are terribly outdated, and not at all aligned with the skill sets that young tech-skilled people bring to these positions. This will cause a tremendous disconnect between skilled talent and their ability to secure these jobs.

This is more than a disconnect, it’s a roadblock that could mean many deserving young people will not land good paying federal tech jobs.

This one barrier, as egregious as it is, illuminates equally critical issues that exist in our tech workforce in the private sector, especially on two fronts:

• As the article states, building a tech-savvy federal workforce must also include a firm commitment to diversity in a way that ensures talent from underrepresented populations are considered for these positions. This same goal must also become an urgent priority for the private sector. Research has proven that a diverse workforce offers many benefits including improved creativity and problem-solving, increased profitability and productivity and enhanced employee engagement and retention, among others.
• In addition to antiquated job titles, there are other systemic barriers and entrenched institutional biases that prevent people from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds in attaining tech jobs. On the one hand, people of color disproportionately lack the guidance, support, and resources to access a traditional college pathway to good paying tech jobs. Yet, most public and private sector hiring systems persist in requiring a four-year degree. Too many young people with the aptitude, seeking ways to improve their economic trajectory, face challenges in both areas and this is unacceptable.

What are the actionable solutions and how does it circle back to the challenges of the federal tech workforce?

There are many pathways for people of color from underserved areas to receive the skills necessary to fill the federal and private sector pipeline. For example, NPower’s tuition-free IT training program provides a structured technical training program and a paid 6-month on-the-job learning opportunity, leading to fulltime employment. Built upon nationally recognized industry credentials and U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship registration, NPower wraps these technical skills with professional skills and mentoring that enable these young people to succeed.

NPower is one of several organizations ensuring that we are tapping talent from all backgrounds, providing them with tech training and supporting their pathway into good paying tech jobs. We are also working with partners and advisors to motivate a shift in the recruiting process where the checklist doesn’t prioritize a college degree but rather focuses on skills, credentials, and aptitude.

In short, we need a seismic shift in focusing on tech talent from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds to fill tech jobs now and in the future, beginning with ensuring all young people have equal access to tech training and that job recruiters think deeply about the requirement for a college degree. It doesn’t stop here, because once young people of color are in the tech workforce, they need a supportive ecosystem to ensure they advance and thrive.

Many individuals, corporations and nonprofits are working steadily to activate this shift but to continue energizing this movement – we need to expand the national community of leaders, influencers, academics, and advocates to push it forward.

As a first step, I hope you’ll join me in issuing a Call-Out to President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Federal Office of Personnel Management, and tech business leaders to commit to building a diverse workforce their utmost priority and to focus on recruiting tech-skilled people of color from non-traditional backgrounds to fill the growing number of available positions.

I am pleased that several business leaders, partners and advocates support me in calling for change, including: Viola Maxwell-Thompson, President and CEO, IT Senior Management Forum; Tom Knowlton, CEO, CSR Talent Group; Josh Sutton, CEO, Agorai; Frank Baitman, Global Head of Compliance & Strategy for Digital Platforms, Genentech (and former CIO, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services); Steven Ballantyne, COO, Watermark Insights; Guillermo Diaz, CEO, Kloudspot Inc, Chair, Hispanic IT Executive Council.