You’ve often heard, “Every future job is a tech job.” But what does that mean?
In February, the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) set out to map the tech ecosystem in Chicago:
- To illuminate how programs, organizations, and partnerships work together
- To catalog non-degree training programs that prepare adults for technology careers
- To understand how programs align with employer demand and regional economic position
- To identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen pathways into tech for underrepresented people
- To foster collaboration among training providers, employers, funders, and intermediaries
At a “Lunch and Learn” in November, IWERC Workforce Research Specialist Jasmine D. Vaughan shared preliminary findings, insights, and next steps with stakeholders — who were invited to provide their feedback on the work so far.
In the wake of mass layoffs and automation, Vaughan said the goal of the ecosystem map was to help employers, job-seekers, students, and providers of training programs in “redefining what it means to be tech ready.”
“Meaning-making is very valuable,” she said, but knowing where the misalignment is between employer needs and workforce training is also important. Are there particular populations whose needs are not being served?
What is an ecosystem?
IWERC uses the definition of “ecosystem” supplied by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce: a network of organizations that enables the provision of goods or services.
Chicago’s tech ecosystem consists of:
- Employees and job seekers
- Employers
- Funders
- Incubators and accelerators
- Intermediaries and alliances
- K–12 programs
- Nonprofits
- Postsecondary education providers
- Workforce training providers.
Vaughan added that corporate training for a company’s employees is also a part of the tech ecosystem. One attendee noted that unions should also be included.
Key findings so far
- Whether they are jobseekers, employees, or employers, people are at the heart of the ecosystem. In IWERC’s ecosystem map, which is not a geographical map but a conceptual one, “People and Potential” forms the first of four layers. Above that are three more layers: Education and Training, Infrastructure and Partnerships, and Market and Policy.
- Layer 3, Infrastructure and Partnerships, is often “where everyone gets hung up,” Vaughan said. Since this layer of the map indicates organizations and resources that mobilize resources and align impact across sectors— intermediaries, funders, and data platforms that coordinate strategy and build cross-sector partnerships and ensure the efforts in education, workforce, and industry are cohesive and data-informed — there’s a lot of activity happening there.
- After presenting the map, Vaughan discussed the project’s catalog of training programs. “The scope is much bigger than we even knew,” Vaughan said. In the Chicago area, 50 providers, including DPI’s Tech Talent Accelerator, run more than 500 programs to train adults for tech jobs: from six-week workshops to 16-week bootcamps. This number does not include degree programs but does include certificate programs offered through higher education institutions. Those programs were also mapped onto an actual map of Chicago.
- The final section of the report, focused on opportunities to strengthen pathways into tech for underrepresented groups, included a taxonomy of tech training programs in different sub-areas. Software development and programming had the most programs, with 116, or 26 percent of all programs. The other areas were data science/artificial intelligence (93, or 21%), cloud computing/systems administration (78, or 18%), cyber/digital security (59, or 13%), web/digital design (40, or 9%), digital business/project management (37, or 9%), business/office technology (17, or 4%), and emerging technologies (one program, less than one percent).
Learning goes both ways
The “learn” portion of “lunch and learn” was not just for attendees to learn about the project — Vaughan and IWERC also wanted stakeholder input. In particular, attendees had feedback on the map of training programs:
- It shows a dearth of training opportunities on the West and Southwest Sides of Chicago, although one observer said, sadly, that “it reflects Chicago” in that opportunities are concentrated in certain areas.
- Opportunities should be color-coded according to whether they are virtual, hybrid, or in-person
- High school programs offering certificates for adults should also be included.
- The geographical map should be available on the project page, which IWERC plans to do.
The response to the project as a whole was positive.
“This is just super cool,” said one participant.
Next steps
Vaughan and her team plan to send a draft of the report for review by any interested parties by the end of November, will revise it based on that feedback in December, and release the report publicly in January.
Ultimately, IWERC hopes to collaborate with Chicagoland Career Pathways to establish a directory for jobseekers. The goal, Vaughan said, is to get “something on record so that now we can iterate.”
She urged attendees to follow IWERC on social media, subscribe to its newsletter, and talk to their employers about how to get involved.
The tech ecosystem project is supported by Bridges to Brighter Futures.
.
Author: Jeanie Chung