DETROIT – IT employers in the Southeast Michigan region are facing an increasingly challenging recruiting environment as demand for talent vastly outweighs the supply of workers. According to an analysis done by the Workforce IntelligenceNetwork for Southeast Michigan (WIN), there were more than 69,075 IT online job postings in 2015, which is nearly twenty times the number of IT completions (3,455 certificates and degrees earned from Southeast Michigan institutions) in all of 2015.

The discrepancy in job demand versus degree completions shows that the current talent pipeline for IT professionals is simply not robust enough to deal with such high demand. Innovative and bold steps need to be taken to improve and reestablish the talent pipelines and overall talent ecosystem for IT in the region.

Fortunately, Southeast Michigan is a burgeoning IT and innovation hub where some organizations have taken a proactive approach in using a not-so-modern idea with a new application: IT apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships offer workers of any age the opportunity to gain hands-on experience serving as productive members of an employer’s staff while simultaneously undergoing formal job-related education and training. Typically, apprentices alternate time between the classroom and on-the-job experience. The amount of time depends on the structure of the apprenticeship designed in collaboration with the employer. Research shows that apprenticeships are an effective way to groom and retain deployable talent, which is especially important when it is hard to find workers with needed technical skills.

Earlier this year at an Opportunity Detroit Tech Council meeting, there was a panel discussion between representatives from local organizations that coordinate area IT apprenticeships, including Detroit Labs, Grand Circus, Focus: Hope, and Henry Ford College. The discussion focused on the use of these programs as an avenue to bolster the ranks of individuals employable in the IT field. Topics of discussion included the educational background of students entering the programs and the apprenticeship model compared to a two or four-year degree program. Though these panelists represented organizations that operate differently, the conversation heavily relied on the need for various actions, including:

• Increasing the talent pool

• Engaging employers and partners

• Fostering homegrown talent

With the collaboration of industry partners and other regional stakeholders, IT apprenticeship programs have the potential to aid in the realignment of a fragmented talent pipeline and address the immense gap between supply and demand regarding labor force participation.

The organizations involved in the IT apprenticeship panel at the Opportunity Detroit Tech Council meeting have taken steps to address the regional talent gap. They have formed partnerships, collaborated with other organizations to get an accurate read on the needs of industry and community alike, and are heavily focused on solutions. This includes providing those within the region that may not be right for a two or four-year degree program a chance to get involved in an exciting and lucrative field. Hopefully, their success will encourage other organizations to take the same or similar path.

For more information about IT and other apprenticeships in Southeast Michigan or the Opportunity Detroit Tech Council, contact [email protected].

This guest column was provided by Lisa Katz, Executive Director of the Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) of Southeast Michigan.

More information, click on Workforce Intelligence Network