Letter from Helen Young Hayes, Founder & CEO of ActivateWork
Known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is transforming every facet of life, especially the workforce. Promising unprecedented productivity gains and new job creation, AI will also obsolete millions of repetitive and manual jobs—perhaps up to 20-25% of US jobs by 2030.1 Furthermore, the shelf-life of skills will shorten: the average half-life of hard skills is now five years, and of tech skills, 2.5 years.2
The hollowing out of entry-level jobs combined with increasingly tech-intensive jobs has several implications for the Future of Work:
- Workers must be upskilled and reskilled faster than ever, increasing the need for agile training programs.
- Durable skills like critical thinking and lifelong learning are even more essential in the New Economy. These skills are demanded 4x more frequently than the top 5 technical skills and are 7 of the 10 most requested skills by employers.3
- Without strategic and coordinated workforce development, these disruptions will widen existing inequity in employment and wealth.
- Shrinking entry-level talent pools will narrow the pipeline of mid-level workers. As one IT leader told me recently, “Without enough Level 100 workers, where will we get the Level 200 and 300 workers we need? Our skilled talent shortage will get worse.”
- Rather than compete for scarce talent, sector players should partner to ensure a vital pipeline of skilled workers for anticipated industry needs.
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 like 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 my full article, learn more about:
• Notable 2024 trends
• How ActivateWork is navigating these trends
• The growing IT skills shortage
Amidst these profound shifts, ActivateWork’s activities are even more essential.
- Our demand-led training enables workers to upskill rapidly in 15-17-week boot camps. Plus, our graduates enjoy two additional years of free upskilling, so they can continue evolving their skills and avert technological obsolescence.
- Since 2016, ActivateWork’s secret sauce has been durable skills coaching. Our curriculum covers employers’ most-demanded skills, and we coach for 12 months after job placement. This drives our graduates’ employment retention rates to over 90%, well above industry average.
- We narrow inequity by serving individuals most underrepresented in the economy—mostly low-income, non-degreed individuals—who double their incomes after our boot camps, debt-free. Our data shows continued wage increases.
- Anticipating the growing gap between entry-level and mid-level IT workers, ActivateWork is launching more apprenticeships with employers like Bank of America, who want to develop an affordable pipeline of mid-skill talent.
- In 2023 we launched the Tech Talent Partnership (TTP), an industry-led collaborative of employers, educators, and training organizations. Designing skills-based job descriptions for top IT roles and coordinating training inputs, the TTP is building a seamless continuum of education to employment to meet current and future talent needs.
Ours is a proven model for economic mobility, and we will evolve as the workforce of the future morphs. Thank you for your partnership and support.
Our Impact Is Growing
ActivateWork’s mission and efforts continue to make real impacts for Coloradans and the economy.
June IT & Security Fundamentals Graduation
Recent graduates of our IT & Security Fundamentals course participated in a weeklong “Capstone” project with MSU’s Cybersecurity Center. During this hands-on experience, graduates were tasked with identifying and responding to simulated cyber-attack incidents from multiple angles.
Apprenticeships and The Future of Work
In 2022, ActivateWork became a sponsor and intermediary for the Department of Labor Registered Apprentice Program (DOL RAP), because we saw that apprenticeship pathways offer benefits for learners, enabling them to earn and learn and access higher-level roles that are most in- demand. Apprenticeships also offer employers new cost-effective talent pipelines. Although ActivateWork graduates gain significant wage increases upon employment, wage outcomes are even stronger when a graduate is hired into a DOL RAP.
To date, 23 apprentices have earned an average of $55,000 per year, even as they undergo 12 months of training. Upon completing their apprenticeship, their salary increased to $68,000 on average. The organization currently has 10 employers leveraging apprenticeships in the following career paths: Junior Software Developer, IT Support Technician, Cybersecurity Support Technician, and DevOps Technician. ActivateWork plans to scale its apprenticeship program in 2024, launching 40 apprentices and adding a Data Analyst career pathway to meet talent needs in Cloud and Generative AI.
Apprenticeship benefits both employers and apprentices
Colorado companies who are finding success with apprenticeship with ActivateWork
Employer and Graduate Spotlight
To highlight the real-world impact, our valued employer partner Cyber Sainik shares their experience.
“Geraldine has been an invaluable asset to our team since joining Cyber Sainik as an apprentice. From day one, she’s demonstrated a remarkable ability to grasp concepts quickly and apply them effectively to real-world scenarios.
Geraldine’s growth throughout her apprenticeship journey has been truly impressive, and she’s proven herself to be an exceptional talent. She embodies the core principles of successful apprenticeships: offering individuals opportunities to excel while delivering substantial value to their teams and organizations.”
– Sam V. Kumar, Founder & CEO of Cyber Sainik
“I saw ActivateWork as a stepping stone toward my goals. The program not only provided me with practical experience but also introduced me to a network of professionals in the field. I obtained my first certification, participated in programs at The Cybersecurity Center of MSU, and secured an apprenticeship as a Security Analyst at Cyber Sainik. Reaching this point hasn’t been easy, but it’s just the beginning. Every day presents new challenges and opportunities for growth in the ever-evolving tech landscape. I’m grateful for the chance ActivateWork gave me to gain valuable experience and connections. Moving forward, I’m committed to continuing my journey in the tech industry. I hope to inspire others facing similar challenges to persevere and seize every opportunity that comes their way. The road may
be tough, but with determination and focus, success is within reach.”
– Geraldine A., Security Analyst Apprentice, Cyber Sainik
The true measure of our success is reflected in the substantial impact on our business partners—100% of apprentices have continued with their companies after completing their apprenticeship, demonstrating the value and effectiveness of our training programs and apprenticeships.
ActivateWork News
In recent months, we’ve been honored to win two noteworthy grants to further our programs.
Apprenticeship Backing America Grant
ActivateWork has been awarded a $3.84 million grant from the Biden-Harris administration to enhance and diversify apprenticeship programs in Cybersecurity and Operations Technology. This initiative aims to modernize training approaches, increasing our capacity to equip participants with durable and tech skills and connecting them to apprenticeships with leading Colorado employers.
“The Apprenticeship Backing America grant will accelerate our employer partnerships to build the tech workforce for today and tomorrow as we drive economic empowerment for ActivateWork’s graduates. We believe IT apprenticeships are the surest and shortest pathway to prosperity in Colorado.” – Helen Young Hayes, Founder & CEO of ActivateWork
Opportunity Now Grant
ActivateWork proudly joins the 43 recipients of the Opportunity Now Colorado grants announced by Governor Jared Polis. With a substantial award of $2.37 million, this initiative supports our efforts to train Coloradans in Cybersecurity and Operations Technology, matching educational outcomes with in-demand job opportunities. Our focus is on upscaling training in technology and advanced-manufacturing sectors, driving significant impacts in job creation and economic growth. This funding is a cornerstone of our strategy to strengthen workforce capabilities and enhance economic resilience across the state.
New Team Members Strengthen Leadership Bench
Sabrina Skinner
Senior Director of Growth
Sabrina is an accomplished social-impact and education leader with two decades of experience in strategic planning, program evaluation, fiscal management, impact advising, and portfolio management. With a proven track record of driving social change and fostering innovation, she has held critical roles in prominent organizations, shaping policies and initiatives that have impacted communities locally and nationwide.
At ActivateWork, Sabrina continues to leverage her extensive experience to advance equitable access to social and economic opportunity for Coloradans. Sabrina is proud of our state and enjoys serving on multiple boards and committees in the community. She loves getting outside—rain, snow, or shine—to enjoy time with her family.
Chris Magyar
Director of Talent Solutions
Chris brings more than 35 years of extensive experience in business operations across various industries, including technology, life sciences, energy, healthcare, and software. Over the past seven years, he has focused on driving the establishment and growth of Registered Apprenticeship Programs within the technology sector. At ActivateWork, he is responsible for planning and executing the organization’s overall employer sales and account management strategy.
Before joining ActivateWork, Chris served as Project Director at American Institutes for Research, where he provided leadership and oversight to a DOL-funded Apprenticeship Industry Intermediary Project, which focused on creating and expanding tech apprenticeships across the United States. His role involved providing strategic guidance, technical expertise, and contract management.
Tara Gilboa
Executive Director – Tech Talent Partnership
Tara’s focus is increasing economic mobility for Coloradans through employer-led pipeline management solutions. She is a former Entrepreneur-in-Residence with the Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator, as well as an education leader for several public-education institutions. Most recently, as a Director at M13 Ventures, she launched playbooks across hiring and recruiting, organizational design, and implementing OKRs. She is committed to supporting Colorado businesses so they can thrive through best-in-class employer-ready talent, and to championing education institutions to deliver streamlined, stackable pathways.
Introducing ActivateWork’s Tech Talent Partnership
The disconnect between education providers and labor markets is making it difficult for employers to find and retain diverse, qualified talent, while also limiting opportunities for individuals with or without college degrees.
Creating incentives and a seamless process for employers to actively develop their talent pool is essential for maintaining a balanced pipeline of skilled workers.
The Tech Talent Partnership (TTP) acts as an intermediary, re-engineering pathways and systems to empower employers to take part in workforce development.
In December 2023, the Tech Talent Partnership Steering Committee, led by Helen Young Hayes and comprised of 20 executives, identified five critical tech roles to target for 2024-2026. With the help of Slalom Consulting, the committee outlined the
requirements for these entry-level positions. TTP is now collaborating with 18 regional education partners, including Denver Public Schools, Adams12, Colorado Mesa University, and the Colorado Community College System, to streamline career pathways and facilitate employer participation in talent development.
As a convener, TTP will develop solutions to address gaps in work-based learning and promote learner pathway awareness. Starting in September, TTP will support employer-led action plans to expand work-based learning opportunities across K-12, community colleges, higher education, and workforce sectors, thereby increasing the talent pool.
TTP operates at a systems level, working across various regional education and workforce systems to enhance education-to-employer tech pathways. Success is measured by the number of apprentices and full-time hires made by the Steering Committee and by increasing active participation from Steering Committee members. Please join us in celebrating the official TTP website launch later this month at: https://techtalentpartnership.
Make a Difference
Mission: Our mission is to connect diverse, qualified talent to leading employers through rigorous skills training, community resources, and professional and life skills coaching.
Vision: Our vision is a talent ecosystem where individuals, employers, and the community can achieve their fullest potential to build a prosperous Colorado for all.