Co-designed recommendations for education/training providers: partnerships, wrap-around supports, and equitable recruitment¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 2 studies (2 qualitative), q2 · 0 of 2 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Worker and learner participants co-designed recommendations for education/training providers across four themes: increase awareness and exploration, improve access to educational and training opportunities, implement equitable recruitment and hiring strategies, and intentionally facilitate career entry, advancement, and retention. Recommendations include forming "strong relationships/partnerships with HBCUs to create a talent pipeline," providing "scholarships, financial support, and other wrap-around services," and helping with "optimizing resumes for AI screening."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Providers must maintain partnerships with employers, HBCUs, and workforce development offices to bridge program completion and career entry

Constraints¶

• Derived from the lived experiences of a specific participant group of Black workers and learners recruited through non-four-year-degree credentialing programs

Target Learners¶

• Black workers and learners seeking tech careers via non-four-year-degree credentials

Target Learning Goals¶

• Tech career awareness, training access, recruitment, career entry, advancement, and retention

Affordances¶

• Scct Chat Tech Pathway Framework

Claims¶

• Black workers and learners report awareness and exploration barriers to tech careers including limited diverse representation, limited social networks, and limited school exposure [+W]
• Students were split between early entry into a program of study and exploring options, and most wished for more structured exploration opportunities [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Co-designed recommendations for employers: equitable hiring practices, inclusive work culture, and continued upskilling support
• Colleges can adopt evidence-based support practices—wrap-around advising, proactive advising, non-tuition financial support, co-requisite courses, early alert systems, and disaggregated data—to improve completion
• Supportive practices for inclusive youth co-design: reach beyond usual voices, respect time, ensure accessibility, and compensate fairly

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Bria Carter, Britney Jacobs, Zohal Shah, Chioma Aso-Hernandez. (2024). Lift Every Voice in Tech: Co-Designed Recommendations to Support Black Workers and Learners Seeking to Enter and Advance in Technology Industry Career Pathways. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/5dcf2bc8-f40c-4942-96a4-c4a5bda965e3