STARs Have Skills Needed for Technology Jobs
Our research partners at LinkedIn show that the U.S. labor market will add 13 million technology jobs in roles, ranging from cybersecurity to software development, in the next five years (see Figure 1). These are good jobs: they pay at or above the median wage across the country, they are growing in almost every industry, and they are at a lower risk of automation than other types of jobs.
Yet, these jobs remain inaccessible to many workers: in fact, 60% of employers in the IT industry admit to rejecting applicants because they did not have a college degree. Where should employers turn to for talent?
Figure 1: United States Estimated Capacity of Technology Jobs by 2025
The volume of demand for these roles continues to outpace the supply of college graduates. Our research shows that there are millions of STARs — workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes. These workers have a high school diploma, do not have a four-year college degree, and are building valuable skills on-the-job and through other routes such as community college, boot camps, and apprenticeships.
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In a select group of technology roles shown in Figure 2, we see there are already over a million STARs occupying these positions right now. In fact, STARs make up more than a quarter of workers in many critical tech roles already.
Figure 2: Proportion of STARs In Select Technology Occupations
But there are also STARs in other fields that can transition to technology roles. Our research, in partnership with LinkedIn, shows that there were more than 3,000 pathways STARs took to get to the Computer Support role. As illustrated in Figure 3, the majority of STARs in those jobs came from non-technology functions and industries.
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Figure 3: Job Function Prior To Jobs As an IT Support Specialist
There are many resources available to help employers find STARs to fill their technology roles. including two new resources from LinkedIn.
First, LinkedIn skills assessment allows employers to validate candidates based on skills demonstrated, rather than educational pedigree. Second, employers can hire STARs candidates who complete Linkedin’s free learning paths, which teaches the relevant skills needed for 10 in-demand professions, including Software Developer, IT Administrator, and Digital Marketer.
Through active efforts to hire STARs, employers can expand the talent pipeline for their technology roles, while also expanding opportunities for workers who have been disproportionately hurt by the COVID-19 economic crisis, and have so much to offer to our recovery.
This blog post was written by Martin Evelyn, Insights Manager at Opportunity@Work as part of the new STARlight Blog Series.
The STARlight Blog Series shares data, insights and stories, from Opportunity@Work research as well as the research of others in the field, to shed light on barriers to and opportunities for economic mobility for STARs.
