Dive Brief:
- To meet its internal need for software developers, Liberty Mutual Insurance is attempting to avoid recruiting headaches with GoForCode, an immersion program that sends current employees to bootcamp programs to improve their software development skills, the Wall Street Journal reports.
- Launched in 2016, the program offers online training, onsite workshops and immersive coursework. Nearly 300 employees have enrolled in the classes. The company reports that upskilling technology proficiency is worthwhile, because knowledge of the company and insurance is more difficult to acquire, and it's now considering bringing coding schools onsite, WSJ says.
- Liberty's move is supported by recent survey data from Pearson VUE. The group says that 56% of nearly 30,000 IT pros surveyed took certification exams that were paid for by their employers.
Dive Insight:
As the demand to hire skilled tech workers vastly outpaces supply, employers are exploring creative solutions to meet their needs. In addition to bootcamp programs and the like, employers are shifting their focus from degrees to skills when hiring and training. Internal staffers, who are already immersed in the corporate culture, are ripe for upskilling as pressure to fill talent gaps continues to grow. Internal bootcamps are a logical next step of this process.
Nationwide, typical avenues to talent are beginning to close up or face roadblocks. Availability of H-1B visa holders may shrink as the Trump administration imposes new protocols; these new processes are already slowing the process considerably, sources tell HR Dive. Likewise, the opioid crisis has removed a massive number of individuals from the workforce.
The problem is widely felt, however, meaning businesses, governments and others are working together to find a way to help available workers meet employers' needs. It remains to be seen what approaches will be most effective, but the result could be a workforce better-equipped for the jobs of tomorrow, if all things go according to plan.
