Capital CoLAB’s Employer Insights Brief

The Greater Washington Partnership has focused on improving the talent pipeline in the Capital Region since its founding in early 2017. In 2018, the Partnership launched the Digital Tech Credential, a program offered by 18 universities in the region that aims to prepare students with the most critical knowledge, skills, and abilities linked to entry-level tech and tech adjacent jobs in the region. With support from JPMorgan Chase and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Partnership also launched the TalentReady program in 2019, an effort to create and enhance IT course pathways from high school into postsecondary education and the workforce. The program has benefited over 10,000 students and counting. The brief released outlines four key hiring trends:

• The Capital Region has a uniquely high proportion of roles in and contracted by the government—about 44% more than the national average.
• Occupations in software development, web development, and information technology continue to be the most in-demand technology occupations in the region.
• Most digital tech roles (84%) in the Capital Region require a bachelor’s degree, higher than the percentage that require a bachelor’s degree at the national level (77%).
• Employers are broadening their talent pools through new partnerships with academic institutions and targeted outreach to additional candidate sources, as well as ramping up retention efforts by upskilling current employees.