From Helen Young Hayes, Founder & CEO  I’m overjoyed to share an extraordinary milestone with you: ActivateWork has surpassed 500 learners! When we launched our free IT training and employment program in May 2020, I could not have imagined achieving this milestone so quickly—or with such life-changing outcomes. Our graduates have increased their incomes by an average of 92%, and over 90% are retained in employment beyond 12 months—a remarkable achievement in any industry. But numbers alone don’t capture the full story. ActivateWork alumni are saving for their children’s college education, achieving six-figure incomes, and purchasing their first homes. At ActivateWork, we are not just building careers—we are supporting Coloradans to transform their lives. 

2024: A Year of Challenges and Opportunities 

Amidst the backdrop of a stabilizing economy and moderating inflation, the tech industry in 2024 navigated a mix of challenges and opportunities. 

• Headwind: Economic uncertainty, high interest rates, and previous inflationary pressures dampened overall tech spending and hiring.
• Crosswind: The surge in Artificial Intelligence (AI) investment reshaped priorities, drawing resources from other areas of technology while emphasizing projects and recruitment in areas such as generative AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity. Despite these shifts, overall tech hiring is up in 2024.
• Tailwind: AI emerged as a powerful productivity tool, enhancing processes across job functions and across industries—including our own. AI now supports our learners’ job searches and strengthens our professional skills assessments and training.

In addition to these crosscurrents, the following trends are notable in 2024: 

• Durable (professional) Skills: Adding to previous research, a new DICE industry survey reports that four out of the top ten skills for IT professionals are durable skills: communication, management, problem-solving, and project management. Interestingly, trustworthiness is the fastest-growing personal qualification month over month. 
• Generative and Domain-Specific AI Skills: The explosion of AI investment and Machine Learning (ML) has created a surge in demand for professionals with expertise in AI. AI jobs now represent 26% of total tech job postings, an increase of 156% from October 2023.
• Data Analysts: As companies rely more heavily on mining large data to inform decisions, data analyst roles have been growing rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment for data scientists will grow by 36% from 2023 to 2033. 
• Cybersecurity Analysts: Cybersecurity continues to be a top priority for organizations, with a particular focus on roles that address compliance and risk management. A Wall Street Journal report noted that there are sufficient workers to fill only 82% of open cybersecurity positions in the U.S., resulting in over 448,000 unfilled jobs nationwide. 
• Skills-Based Hiring: More IT companies are shifting to skills-based hiring methods, preferring to consider track records and previous projects over traditional hiring criteria to gauge current skill set and potential. Over 89% of companies surveyed are happy with their change to a skills-based hiring method, especially since tech workers without a traditional college degree are 20% more likely to stay in their jobs. 

 

How We Are Navigating These Trends 

ActivateWork is at the forefront of addressing these shifts through innovative training programs and partnerships

• Leveraging AI for Skills Development: Both general and application-specific AI skills have been added to all our curricula to equip our learners with the skills they need to thrive in an AI-driven landscape.  The goal is not to just stay current; it’s about giving our learners a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving job market.
• Cyber Analyst Pathway: This year, we launched a dedicated pathway for Cyber Analysts, and next year we will add a Cyber – Governance, Risk, and Compliance training to meet growing employer demand.
• Data Analytics Curriculum: We are finalizing a robust curriculum for Data Analytics resulting in a CompTIA Data+ industry-recognized credential, shaped by insights and input from our employer partners to align with real-world needs.
• Hands-On Technical Training and Certifications: To keep our learners ahead of shifting trends in the workplace, we are adding more hands-on labs, skills-based assessments, and industry-recognized certifications to augment our technical training.

A Long-Term Concern: Growing IT Skills Shortage Costing $5.5 Trillion 

The rapid pace of technological advancement is fueling a global IT skills shortage, creating far-reaching consequences for businesses and economies alike. A recent report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) reveals that nearly two-thirds of North American IT leaders attribute missed revenue growth, quality issues, and declining customer satisfaction to a lack of skilled talent. The outlook is sobering: by 2026, more than 90% of organizations worldwide will face the impact of this crisis, with costs projected to reach $5.5 trillion due to product delays, weakened competitiveness, and lost business opportunities.  At ActivateWork, we are tackling this challenge through two key strategies designed to grow the overall IT workforce (rather than merely shift existing talent among employers). The Tech Talent Partnership (TTP) brings together businesses, educators, and training organizations to align education and training programs with industry needs, creating broad, new training pathways that provide underrepresented individuals access to sustainable IT careers while helping employers meet critical talent demands.  In addition, apprenticeships are proving to be a game-changer. By blending paid on-the-job training with classroom learning, apprenticeships allow employers to develop a future-ready workforce tailored to their specific needs. At the same time, workers gain a debt-free entry point into high-demand tech careers, positioning them for long-term success.  Together, these strategies are expanding Colorado’s IT workforce to meet the demands of tomorrow while creating lasting economic opportunity and prosperity for all. Thank you for standing with us in this vital work.