The success of launching any tech apprenticeship program is going to rest on finding internal champions. These are people inside the organization that would support the effort, will act as allies, and who see the value of expanding pipelines. They “get it” and are ready to embrace hiring STARs (those skilled through alternative routes). Some of the strongest advocates I have found are folks high up in an organization without a college degree. They tend to have really high EQ and are action oriented. They understand that STARs are willing to grind their way to the top with hard work.
But, finding great advocates in positions where they are also decision-makers is tough. The alternatives are folks in the influencer role within the organization and you will need to find collaborative partners inside to help push a tech apprenticeship initiative forward.
Note: If you are reading this and you are a stakeholder inside an organization you may have a much better understanding of internal politics and where to find partners and champions. It is often very opaque from the outside and just understanding the organization and where there are sympathetic voices will be a huge plus.
When possible I’d recommend starting on the business/operations side of an organization and talking about tech apprenticeship with the teams most likely to benefit first: Engineering, Data, DevOps, DevSecOps, etc. Early on Creating Coding Careers contracted for bespoke project work directly with engineering teams. This allowed the eventual hiring managers to get a very close look at the talent our program was capable of providing. The hiring managers on the operations side of the business have been strong advocates for change especially when they had a less sympathetic HR or upper leadership.
Connect with the recruiting and HR. These teams know the hiring and recruiting process and can offer how to get in contact with specific managers or groups. Don’t expect these people to be “on your side”, but rather just another part of the organization that sees recruiting as a shared goal. They have budgets and may be more easily convinced to repurpose some existing budget for a pilot program that can help them find more talent. Your goal is to help them increase the ROI of the budget they already have before asking for a budget increase (which is always a friction point).
don’t expect HR to be your best friend but rather a contact point
If you are recruiting for people to support an apprenticeship program, recruiting managers (especially at the technical ranks) should be able to help you identify where people are looking or what groups to contact.
The Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging teams, as well as the Employee Resource Groups, are also great places to find internal champions that will support the cause of the diversity of talent and can be advocates for increasing the number of pipelines of talent into the organization.
It is also likely that DEIB teams have deep ties with other teams across the org chart. Some of these relationships will be very good and others less so. Making sure you can find allies in DEIB and HR will be a great help to your program.
The larger the organization becomes the more likely there are some divisions that fit the bill as partners. Stay clear of the college recruiting team. They may appear outwardly as well aligned with the apprenticeship pattern, but they have a very specific mandate and are often very resistant to distractions from the KPIs they are given.
Again, don’t expect HR to be your best friend but rather a contact point. DEIB may not be empowered or have the capacity to do the heavy lift of starting a tech apprenticeship. But these folks should be able to help you identify other groups in the org chart that would benefit from a pilot in the organization. Pitch the apprenticeship opportunity as a recruiting tool for both organizations – especially when trying to build a coalition of support across an org chart or company.
Finally, starting as high up as you can in an organization will make it more likely that you will find an internal champion that also has decision-making authority, a budget, and someone who understands the very real need for new talent pipelines. Someone on the C suite, but I would caution NOT the CTO. That is for another issue…
Have I missed anyone that you think would be a great internal champion? Leave me a comment. Also, if you know an organization that would benefit from a conversation around Apprenticeship tag them in a comment or send me a DM.