By: Kevin Mills, Head of Government Partnerships at Coursera

The pandemic fundamentally changed the labor market, causing widespread unemployment and displacement. The shifting skills landscape is also creating opportunities in the workforce, with 149 million new digital jobs expected globally by 2025. However, there is a mismatch between the talent available, and the skills employers are requiring for today’s jobs. It is incumbent upon us, as business and workforce leaders, to work together and modernize workforce development programs so they meet the demands of a fast-changing workplace. Here are some actionable next steps institutions can take to move this effort forward.

Align training programs to modern workforce needs

As transformation accelerates, partnerships will become more critical. Workforce agencies and employers must work closely to anchor training initiatives to high-demand skills, as well as provide direct pathways to job placement. Initiatives like the Workforce Compass platform from NAWB and FutureFit.AI provide a compelling model. The platform aggregates local labor market data, learning providers, and real-time progression and outcomes data, helping governments personalize career exploration, reskilling, and job placement for the communities they serve.

States like New York, Tennessee, and Missouri are also innovating, using online training to equip unemployed workers with digital and job-readiness skills across fast-growing fields including business, technology, and data science. New York, for example, surveyed employers in partnership with the New York State Business Council to curate training for regional hiring needs, and worked with the City University of New York to provide support services to program participants.

Focus on entry-level digital jobs to promote income mobility

McKinsey estimates up to 4.9 million low-wage US workers may need to transition into higher-wage roles and develop new skills to remain employed in the digital economy. As workers search for gateways into new, well-paying careers, and employers aim to diversify their hiring pipelines, entry-level certificate training programs are rising in prominence.

Leading technology companies like Google, IBM, and Facebook, have designed online certificate programs that prepare learners without a college degree or technology experience for a wide range of high-growth digital jobs, from IT support to social media marketing, in just a few months. These certificates can enable more equal access to economic opportunity by offering flexible, affordable pathways for learners to pursue job opportunities through vetted hiring coalitions, and in some cases, even earn credit toward a four-year degree program.

Interestingly, more women in the U.S. turned to entry-level training programs on Coursera during the pandemic than ever before – with the share of enrollments from women increasing from 27% in 2019 to 43% in 2021. Amid difficult labor market conditions, it is encouraging to see women are embracing online training to develop digital skills that can help accelerate their return to work and promote economic mobility.

Provide wrap-around support services to drive engagement 

Wrap-around support services help increase access, engagement, and outcomes for workers participating in workforce development programs. Career services are among the most important, often offered in partnership with local career centers, libraries, community colleges, or nonprofits like Goodwill and Merit America.

These institutions support workers in gaining career-readiness skills like job searching, resume writing, and interview prep and practice. They also offer important services like access to devices and internet connectivity, help desks for technical and learning support, and childcare and transportation services that allow participants to focus on their training and get to job interviews.

Bridge the digital divide to unlock full workforce potential

Internet connectivity has become imperative during the pandemic-induced shift to remote work. The city of Chicago presents a compelling framework for using broadband initiatives to unlock economic potential for local residents in need. The City launched Chicago Connected in June 2020 to provide no-cost, high-speed internet service to eligible Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students and their families. A year later, approximately 64,000 students across 42,000 households were served by the program – cutting Chicago’s digital divide by nearly two-thirds.

To realize the full potential of its digital inclusion initiative, Chicago Connected partnered with Coursera to offer families across the city free online job training that can open doors to remote work opportunities. Training that is self-paced and available in online and mobile formats can be more accessible to adults whose employment, transportation, or childcare responsibilities preclude them from attending in-person training.

Workforce development programs will be key to increasing equitable participation in the digital economy. Collaboration among workforce development agencies, educators, and employers will be critical to level the playing field for workers and unlock economic opportunity for communities across the country.