COLORADO SPRINGS — New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is showing just how the devastating impact the pandemic has had on hospitality and retail jobs, but it also shows the increased demand for tech jobs. the problem is, there aren't enough skilled workers to fill those tech jobs.
There are two programs in Colorado that are helping adults become the skilled workers they need. Stride Learning and Galvanize.
Stride Learning has been around for more than 20 years in Colorado, offering a career-based approach to education for kids K-12. Last year they started offering a similar program for adults who need to gain more skills to make a career switch, and since the pandemic began, many have taken advantage of it.
"Our goal is to expose students to other careers that they wouldn't have otherwise known," explained Shaun McAlmont, President of Career Learning for Stride Inc. "We want to expose them to courses that give them a real head start into that career and then it gives them more options when the graduate," he said.
Galvonize is another program that offers adults training and certifications in computer science. Devon Silk heard of the program through a friend. A year ago, Devon was forced to look for something else after loosing his job in the hospitality business. Through the program Devon was able to take data prep and coding classes to get a degree and become a data scientist.
"Everybody breaks into small groups for a lot of the problems, and then we did a lot of group work that helped too," Silk explained. "Learning to ask questions was key."
Devon says so far he's gotten one interview after getting his degree.
Galvonize and Stride have campuses in Colorado but the majority of their classes have gone virtual.
For more on other education programs such as TechElevator, click here.
