Dive Brief:
- Arizona State University, in collaboration with the American Institutes for Research and CompTIA, announced July 27 that it launched an IT-focused apprenticeship program.
- Arizona State is the latest organization to join CompTIA’s Apprenticeships for Tech, an initiative that aims to drive more workers into IT positions — particularly talent from underrepresented groups.
- "The strong demand for IT project management skills reflects the reality that technology is a critical component in virtually every project, whether small, medium or large," said Amy Kardel, senior vice president for workforce relations at CompTIA.
Dive Insight:
Tech talent of all stripes is in high demand, various reports have shown. Nearly one in five executives surveyed by EY said a shortage of analytics and IT talent is a barrier to data strategy. And workers’ tech skill proficiency dropped “significantly” in 2021, according to a Coursera report from June, meaning employers are struggling to make up the difference, labor data shows.
Apprenticeship programs, like that of ASU, are one way employers are attempting to navigate a tight labor market, especially in tech. The U.S. Department of Labor also has prioritized apprenticeships, particularly after disruption from the pandemic. At the end of 2021, DOL awarded more than $8 million in contracts to organizations working on the East Coast to enable apprenticeships in hard-hit sectors, including manufacturing, automation and semiconductor production.
While apprenticeships have traditionally served industries like construction, they have expanded in recent years to alternative sectors, including pharmacy technicians, financial services, insurance and even HR management. The programs aim to be alternative paths to jobs, outside of college degrees — something more HR departments may be considering as leaders face a push toward skill-based hiring.
