Fox Business covers success of Digital Upskill Sacramento

Greater Sacramento
Greater Sacramento is tackling the war for talent head-on by expanding our pipeline through upskilling initiatives and apprenticeship programs.

In fact, Fox Business just ran a segment on one of our recent programs, Digital Upskill Sacramento.

Fox Business feature

Watch the feature below and read more aquí.

About Digital Upskill Sacramento

Using CARES Act funding, our team worked with the Urban League, Merit America and General Assembly to launch the Digital Upskill program, an innovative workforce development initiative that quickly and cost-effectively trained people from underrepresented communities for lucrative careers in tech.

The Digital Upskill program was hugely successful with graduation and placement rates over 90% at wages 50% higher than traditional job placement. Students have been placed at companies like Accenture, HCL Technologies, VSP and Centene.

Now, we’re scaling similar programs throughout the Greater Sacramento region and partnering with Accenture to bring their Apprenticeship Network to Northern California.

Looking ahead: Shaping the future of work through DEI

As part of its three-year strategic plan, GSEC will work to create equity in the region by growing tradable-sector jobs and linking individuals from underserved communities to them. Equity efforts include deepening relationships with companies to ensure job placement for diverse talent, growing the Digital Upskill program and bringing together the private sector, educational institutions and community partners serving disadvantaged communities.

Tactic 1: Digital upskilling


GSEC will replicate and scale the Digital Upskill pilot program throughout the region. There are multiple funding sources from the public sector, nonprofits and existing businesses to continue the work of providing life-changing skills and adding tradable-sector jobs to the region. GSEC will identify multiple funding sources to replicate and scale the program.

Scaled efforts will continue to provide training for in-demand jobs, remove barriers like income and technology access and provide support services to trainees. The current labor shortage will not dissipate in the near term and to grow tradable-sector jobs there must be multiple avenues to provide training and job placement.

Tactic 2: Apprenticeship Network

Accenture has brought its Apprenticeship Network concept from Chicago to Northern California, providing increased resources for Greater Sacramento employers to create flexible pathways for nontraditional workers to be hired by their organizations. This network will provide greater opportunity to increase equity and enable employers to find employees that would not have been part of their traditional candidate pools. GSEC will help find companies within the region that would be interested in joining the Apprenticeship Network.

Transformational initiative: Future of work

Over the next three years, GSEC will create a future of work initiative led by regional businesses that transforms how workforce development efforts are delivered in the region. Current models used to train people who have lacked opportunity for upward social mobility have failed. All too often people in poverty are trained for poverty-level jobs. This has to end, as the clearest pathway to long term economic success is the development of skills.

By focusing on these programs that lift people out of poverty through training and placement in jobs that have an upward economic mobility, this work will make the regional economy more competitive, reduce poverty and increase prosperity.

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