GREATER SACRAMENTO
demand for skilled engineers in these companies who have experience with the software platform .”
A report by the Brookings Institution that is helping chart GSEC ’ s course to greater prosperity for the region notes the local share of jobs requiring only minimal digital skills decreased from 53 percent in 2002 to 28 percent in 2016 . Employers across the industry spectrum are demanding a higher level of digital literacy , and because Sacramento is a diverse region , Brookings found it “ extremely urgent ” to engage minority and underserved communities in order to fill in-demand jobs .
To that end , the Greater Sacramento Urban League , GSEC and the City of Sacramento have established the Digital Upskill Sacramento Pilot Program . Greater Sacramento Urban League President and CEO Cassandra Jennings says the program is targeted to serve
people who have been dislocated or laid off from jobs as the result of COVID-19 with the potential to move them into mid-level jobs .
Each of the 40 students in the nineweek pilot receives a free laptop , $ 600 per week and a certificate in IT support or data analytics . The program is funded by the City of Sacramento through the CARES Act , which is why it is a pilot , but Jennings says she believes the program will prove its worth and the Urban League is looking to extend it using other funding sources .
“ What we do is look at the wide range of digital skills that people will need in order to be successful in this economy ,” says Jennings , adding that access to computer hardware and reliable broadband can be limited in underserved communities . “ If we ’ re able to provide access and upskilling when necessary , and opportunities for those in underserved communities , then that ’ s when we really begin to support the economy .”
Jackson believes William Jessup University and other schools are rethinking their traditional roles , which he says created an intentional chasm between the educational experience and the real world . Now , sophomores and juniors are doing internships to help them decide what field they want to major in as part of their path to a fulfilling career .
“ There ’ s always a gap between the classroom and the workplace ,” says Jackson . “ We ’ re trying to make that gap smaller and smaller .”
Ken Smith is a freelance writer , public relations consultant and video producer who is also managing editor of Sierra Sacramento Valley Medicine magazine . More at kdscommunications . com .
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24 comstocksmag . com | 2020