i3 - September/October 2019 - 35

By Jackie Black

Policy

P O L I CY N E WS

Collaboration Helps Grow
the Workforce Pipeline

 I 

t's no surprise U.S. companies are having trouble finding
workers in this tight labor market. According to CTA's 2019
Future of Work survey, 80% of employers say it is difficult
to find candidates with the right skills and abilities today and 50%
believe it will become even more difficult over the next five years.

But with challenges come opportunities.
To address the talent pipeline, employers
should collaborate with their local educational institutions. Whether with K-12 or
community colleges, employers can
invest in the future workforce by forging
relationships with educators.
The survey found only one in four
employers find skilled candidates by
cocreating curriculums with four-year
universities, technical schools or community colleges. This number is too low -
tech companies should be able to engage
with local schools to create a sustainable
skilled talent pipeline. Consider community colleges: They are more flexible than
traditional four-year institutions to
respond to local employer needs.
For example, Northern Virginia
Community College (NOVA) addresses
current and future talent needs by partnering with businesses through industry

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advisory boards, apprenticeship programs,
employer focus groups and surveys.
"With this ecosystem in place, we create
a data-driven talent development system
that adapts quickly to economic trends
and works for local businesses, students
and the community," says Melanie Stover,
director, corporate and workforce
engagement, NOVA. "It is critically
important for NOVA to work closely and
frequently with companies to prepare
our region for the careers of tomorrow
and create a sustainable talent pipeline."

Encouraging STEM

Only 15% of respondents on average
say their company actively offers,
sponsors or directly supports STEM
learning opportunities for K-12 and
vocational school students. The numbers are most alarming when broken
down by elementary school grades - a

crucial age for children to engage with
STEM subjects, according to the
National Science Foundation. Only 9%
of companies engage with grades K-2
and 10% engage with grades 3-5. There's
a correlation between early exposure to
STEM and later success in those subjects or in school.
To increase key learning opportunities
at a young age, CTA is partnering with
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington
(BGCGW). BGCGW provides STEM
program opportunities to all their youth.
Nearly 70% of their members report only
receiving STEM education through their
participation with BGCGW. Of those
participants, 91% report that they believe
the knowledge they've gained from these
programs will help best prepare them to
find a job. "It is through the support of
corporate partners that BGCGW is able
to consistently provide this imperative
programming that ultimately sets members up for success in adulthood," says
CEO Gabrielle Webster.
Rethinking hiring practices creates a
more inclusive workplace and new
opportunities to invest in the workforce
pipeline. At the same time, the U.S. tech
industry has a responsibility to work
with educational institutions - from
kindergarten to college - to ensure students have the right skills to be valuable
and productive employees.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

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9/9/19 7:59 PM
https://cta.tech/News/i3.aspx?Page=1
i3 - September/October 2019

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