What We've Been Doing in Q2 2024
By the close of Q2, our partners saw great success in initial outcomes, including 108 participants placed in quality tech jobs! In addition to placements, the Coalition focused on building employer engagement.
Employer Champions Council
The Employer Champions Council is led by Accenture, Computing for All (CFA), and Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), focusing on aligning tech workforce development priorities and building a shared understanding of emerging technology to present a unified business voice to higher education institutions on critical educational programs and pathways for IT and CS.
This council was officially launched on June 20, at a roundtable event including executives from Amazon, F5, Google, Microsoft, Smartsheet, T-Mobile, and WA Roundtable, discussing the impact of AI on technology roles.
Read the related report by Accenture and a consortium of nine leading global corporations exploring that impact, which projected that over 91.5% of tech job roles analyzed are expected to experience high or moderate transformations due to advancements in AI.
Employer Engagement
We have been meeting regularly with employers to get feedback for in-demand roles and understand how career pathway programs can best prepare students for jobs. In Q2 we interviewed 8-10 of our closest employer partners via one-on-one sessions to understand their tech hiring needs, how they currently hire, and what challenges they face.
We are also collaborating with sector leaders representing industries such as Banking, Healthcare, Aerospace and Manufacturing, Maritime, and Lifesciences to get introduced to their employers who have a need for tech talent.
Washington Jobs Initiative Partners
Our WJI partners have started the year off right with some impressive numbers of students engaged in their programs.
| Q1 | Q2 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Outrach & Recruitment |
1130 |
3019 |
4149 |
|
Training Program Enrollments |
133 |
154 |
287 |
|
Wrap-around Supports |
62 |
238 |
300 |
|
Training Program Completions |
105 |
114 |
219 |
|
Job Placements |
49 |
59 |
108 |
These programs range from coding training programs to Washington State Community Colleges to rural K-12 Career and Technical Education programs. All of our training partners are focused on serving underrepresented and marginalized populations, leading to economic justice and quality jobs for participants.
Students were placed in tech jobs in companies such as Allen Institute, Amazon Web Services, Costco, Google, Microsoft, Smartsheet, Sound Transit, US Coast Guard, and many more.
So far this year, our partners have placed 108 students in quality tech jobs and are working hard to place even more students in future quarters.
Community of Practice
As the backbone for the WJI project, CFA has also begun a series of community of practice meetings with our partners where they can get updates on grant progress and share learnings and best practices.
At our kick-off meeting, our partners introduced their programs and roles in the WJI grant’s scope of work, which has led to connections between partners as they discover ways that they can leverage each other’s expertise.
We also had an equity meeting where guest speaker Lawrence Garrett, of 828, talked about the most impactful way to think about equity outcomes in their programs.
WTWC Partner Spotlight: Year Up
Founded on the belief that all young adults have the talent to succeed, Year Up’s mission is to close the gap between young adults seeking economic opportunity and companies seeking talent, referred to as the Opportunity Divide.
In pursuit of our mission, and as part of the national Year Up organization, Year Up Puget Sound (YUPS) opened its doors in 2011. Through a combination of technical and essential skills-based training, high support through coaching and wraparound resources, educational stipends, work-based experiences, and robust alumni engagement, YUPS prepares young adults for meaningful careers and economic mobility.
Learner Success Story: Fuad Mohamed
Fuad Mohamed, a 2018 graduate of Year Up Puget Sound, exemplifies the impact of our program. Returning as an Alumni speaker in 2023, Fuad shared his journey, highlighting how Year Up’s support continued well beyond program completion. Despite facing tech job layoffs, Fuad leaned on his network and Year Up’s resources, securing a new role at Microsoft as a Senior Consultant.
“Year Up helped me think outside the box and literally placed me outside the box, in the corporate world. I honestly don’t know any other organization that would’ve bet on me and invested in me the way Year Up did.” ~Fuad Mohamed
For questions or additional information, contact Marisa Turaids at MTuraids@YearUp.org. For student information and referral, visit https://www.yearup.org/students.
UPCOMING WJI PARTNER EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
FullConTech
September 24, 8:30AM – 6:00PM, Pacific Science Center
FullConTech is a unique event where industry professionals, government officials, and academia partners can come together to discuss solutions to the challenges facing the tech sector in Washington. Computing for All will be co-hosting a panel with BHEF on AI and the Tech Workforce in WA State.
Find out more and register here.
North Central WA CS & Tech Fair
October 17, 9:00AM – 1:00PM, Big Bend Community College
The 2024 NCW CS & Tech Fair will host hundreds of high school youth from across Washington State. Students are looking to engage with you and learn about college and career possibilities. We’d love to partner with you to share the exciting work your company/organization does as a booth exhibitor, panel speaker, hands-on workshop host or event volunteer.
Find out more and register here.
Year Up Puget Sound Professional Olympics
October 22, 11:15AM – 1:00PM, The Westin Seattle
The Year Up Puget Sound Professional Olympics event is an annual fundraising luncheon where Puget Sound’s talented alumni will share their journeys and take the stage to compete and demonstrate their skills through exciting professional competitions.
Find out more and register here.
WSU Data Analytics Internship Program
Washington State University is looking to partner with employers to help solve their data and business needs. Their Data Analytics students are able to assist with projects such as data entry, visualization, mining, analysis, and modeling.
Contact Jill Shafer (jill.shafer@wsu.edu) for more information or learn more here.
CCW Program Builder Round 13
Proposals due October 16, 5:00PM
Career Connect Washington is conducting a Round 13 Request for Proposals for building or expanding Career Launch, Career Prep, and Career Explore programs.
Find out more and apply here.