Qwasar Silicon Valley, a leader in training advanced technical talent in software-related roles, is partnering with JFN Institute of Technology in Cameroon to drive groundbreaking programs to grow digital talent in Africa. The partnership sees the launch of programs focused on skills-based programs training talent to Silicon Valley standards in software engineering, full stack development, and data science, with opportunities to expand into Cloud/DevOps and AI/machine learning.

Finding diverse, skilled technical talent is difficult. Having a consistent pipeline of good skilled talent year round is difficult, especially for more junior positions. Industry is shifting to new training models that turn traditional models upside down and that work better for companies, recruiters, and learners. Pre-apprenticeships are a great way for companies and training providers to work together to provide real opportunities to learners and develop a strong, skilled, talent pipeline.

Upwork has partnered with Qwasar Silicon Valley to help fuel the diversity of technical talent in digital careers. Upwork, the world’s work marketplace, has long enabled companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential. Qwasar trains learners for digital careers and partners with colleges across North America to offer affordable, accessible, and skills-based programs that train learners to the tech industry’s standards.

Qwasar Silicon Valley specializes in tech talent training, particularly programs that are affordable and high quality. We have a long-standing relationship with Claris, an Apple subsidiary, to help train and develop tech talent specialized in using their FileMaker app development platform. Qwasar and Claris developed a focused training track to learn and use the FileMaker platform. Cohorts go through the training track 2-3 times per year, and each cohort concludes with a hiring event or recruitment day. Claris Business Partners are invited to attend the recruitment event and find it a significant source of quality young talent trained in FileMaker.

Competency-based education (CBE) generally enables all learners to succeed in a learning or training program, especially when it comes to technical subjects such as software engineering. Good software development engineering programs incorporating CBE allow students to develop core technical competencies that match with on-the-job demands for software jobs. The emphasis on competencies as a measurement of learning also enables equity in education and means education providers can offer programs with significant flexibility.

By increasing equity in education, more and more learners can succeed and become software developers. The barriers to a quality education are broken down in competency-based education as students from all backgrounds can participate and succeed. The flexibility of this method of education enables better learning outcomes for non-traditional learners as well as those that learn by doing. Competency-based education encourages learners to develop the core competencies that will make them successful candidates for future careers.

Qualified diverse candidates who meet job criteria with their resume is the number one way to help fill the millions of open jobs in tech. Community colleges are uniquely situated to produce these candidates and diversify the workforce, addressing the real pipeline problem around diversity in tech. Not just any kind of program will succeed, however, at changing the demographics of the tech workforce, due to the demands of employers and how employers hire.

Employers are seeking candidates that are critical thinkers, think outside the box, well-rounded individuals and talented. The demand for tech talent is larger than ever and employers want the best of the best. Recruiters are gatekeepers to careers in technology at companies, but finding out the ways to impress a recruiter and have the competencies needed by today’s employers is the way to get ahead. There are four major things employers are seeking in candidates and if you check these boxes, you will advance in interviews. Our programs have four main elements that align exactly with what employers are looking for. The process is rigorous but the checklist is the same across the board:

• Depth and breadth of technical skills
• Software development experience
• Strong technical portfolio
• Technical interview preparation

We'll look at each of these elements that help to drive our strong employment rates among our programs.

There are a lot of tech talent training programs out there, ranging from very short courses on Coursera to 6-year Master’s degree programs at universities. In today’s world, any tech talent training program should be competency-based, because the working world and on-the-job skills are about competency and performance. To simply get into an entry-level job in tech, applicants are required to show competency on their resume and further prove it in technical interviews.

Program Overview

Region: San Francisco Bay Area

College: Cañada Community College at Menlo Park

Location: Menlo Park, CA

Area: Career and Technical Education

CTE Subject: Full Stack Development

Department: Workforce Development

Credit Status: Non-degree/Not-for-credit program

Cañada Community College at Menlo Park partnered with Qwasar to launch a Full Stack development program with goals to meet local talent demand, serve the local population, and provide essential career on-ramps, all while using competency-based education. This partnership is a unique opportunity for community college students in the San Francisco Bay Area to get into tech through an affordable, skills-based pathway.

With all the options available to consider for workforce development training, it can be overwhelming trying to decide what is best for your system. There are different training providers, all with different approaches to closing the skills gap. The California community college system is in a tough position and is being called upon to help the state solve a high unemployment rate, an achievement gap, a need to reskill workers, and a shortage of tech talent. Part of this is due to a global pandemic but it can also be attributed to the digitization of our daily lives and the need for digital skills. Technical literacy is more important than ever.

Thankfully, the state of California has set aside additional budget money for more workforce development programs. This funding is to assist in getting people into jobs as well as increasing the marketable skills of adults in California. As stated by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, “Short-term workforce training programs created in partnership with employers will be a crucial priority in the recovery.” This is exactly what we do. We are a high-quality, low-cost skills-based training program that scales, and that partners with community colleges to help them deliver on their goals.