Embracing the Golden Moments: Why the Digital Skills Initiative deserves a louder applause

[rjones0923]

There are Golden Moments in history that redefine the way we do life. Sometimes it is as rapid and confronting as the shift from industrial to knowledge-based work, and sometimes it's abrupt and brutal like the global pandemic. Whichever fast or soft, change will not yield for us even if it doesn’t punch us in the gut

However, In the midst of change, and if we are lucky, we get to witness or even participate in what I like to call Golden Moments-instances that possess a rarity and global value. These moments can redefine the way we do life, and I believe that eliminating the digital skills gap is one of those moments; and the Digital Skills Initiative has the potential to be a luminous chapter in our history.

As a proud Michigan Native, who comes from a Blue-Collar Family, I know all too well about the calluses earned in construction and car factories because that was how generations of my family made their livelihood. They mastered skills that were in demand, skills that sustained us across generations.

Today, tech skills are now in demand, and all the better-paying jobs require those skills. So we must ask ourselves, what happens when societies lack efficient pathways to acquire these skills? I’ll tell you, as I have had to witness the consequences of an ill-prepared workforce in Michigan;  innovation fades, despair and discouragement sinks in, and opportunities for upward mobility begin to erode. It is all connected. 

This is why the Digital Skills Initiative deserves a louder applause. This initiative is a Golden Moment in time. A time for us to embrace digital skills training and inclusive hiring practices. A time for us to remove barriers and welcome talented folks with non-traditional backgrounds into the tech workforce. With this initiative we have the power to breathe new life into our work, our communities, and ultimately our society. 

Can you see it?... Don’t you want to be a part of that?

Imagine that power. Workplaces filled with dynamic people with exceptional skill; folks with flavorful lives & cultures. This is the human experience we yearn for—a collective longing that can be fulfilled by being pioneers in this new wave. Not only does this initiative promise to uplift millions in underserved communities, but it also invites us to revel in the joy of the journey.

So cheers and a round of applause for the beginning of something truly Golden. 

If you know someone underrepresented in the tech field—be it a Person of Color, a woman, Please share this link with them. SAP Digital Skills Initiative  

🙂

[David_Chaviano]

Thanks for the program shoutout @rjones0923 !