The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Five organizations offer distinct examples of how employers can widen access to technology careers: AllianceBernstein and LinkedIn worked with Year Up; the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) described organization-wide inclusion practices; IBM offered a returnship for experienced professionals; and Accenture used apprenticeships to open routes into IT for people without traditional four-year technology degrees. These are examples of program design, not proof that any one approach caused a measured business result. The programs and terms below were reported by CIO on January 23, 2023; their current availability has not been verified.
What the five examples show
The approaches address different points where people can be shut out of technology work: access to training, familiarity with recruiting, a break in employment, or hiring practices that favor conventional credentials. Together, the cases suggest that a talent strategy can include both new entry routes and changes to the workplace itself. CIO’s January 2023 feature describes the programs and leaders’ perspectives, but does not compare their results or provide outcome metrics showing that they caused gains in hiring, retention, or revenue.
AllianceBernstein: multiple routes into technology
AllianceBernstein’s reported programs connected candidates with training, work experience, or financial support through several routes:
- Year Up: The feature described a partnership connecting underserved young adults with career readiness and IT opportunities, including internships.
- Career transitions: It named programs for former professional athletes and military members.
- Local technology training: The company was reported to work with Nashville Software School on vocational training and the Greater Nashville Technology Council on paid apprenticeships and tuition-free web development bootcamps.
- HBCU scholarships: The article said the company had launched a scholars program offering up to 20 students scholarships after a nine-week summer internship.
Janessa Cox-Irvin, then identified as AllianceBernstein’s global head of diversity and inclusion, described the value of bringing different experiences into the workplace: “The more perspectives we can have in the room, having different ideas, people that have different lived experiences, people that have different backgrounds — that really matters.”
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LinkedIn: employees support career readiness
CIO reported that LinkedIn’s partnership with Year Up began in 2011. Employees coached students, offered career advice and resources, and took part in workshops, mock interviews, networking, and résumé support. The feature also described an internal team dedicated to maintaining and expanding the relationship. These details reflect the January 2023 account; the partnership’s current status is not established here.
AAMC: make inclusion part of organizational processes
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) example focused less on a single pipeline program and more on workplace systems. CIO reported that AAMC had a DEI Council, employee resource groups, a DEI director and team within HR, and channels for employees to raise concerns. Its described practices also included reviewing reporting systems for bias, anti-racism training through the Sustained Dialogue Institute, changes to hiring processes, and goals linked to leadership.
Yvonne Massenburg, then identified as AAMC’s chief human resources officer, said: “Our formalized DEI strategy focuses on our workforce and challenges our workplace, culture, leadership, the ability to lead in an inclusive way, including partnerships, community engagement, outreach, and more.” The feature did not report metrics that establish the effect of these practices.
IBM: a returnship for experienced professionals
IBM’s Tech Re-Entry Program was presented as a route back to corporate IT for experienced people after a career break. Unlike an entry-level internship or apprenticeship, a returnship targets candidates who already have professional experience but may need to refresh relevant skills and reconnect with the workplace.
Rank #3
Anju Nair, described in the feature as a participant returning after a 15-year break, said: “I was confident in my skills, because I had the prior experience, I knew what I was working towards, and I knew I was open to learning; but to get that opportunity is the toughest part.”
Accenture: apprenticeships that broaden hiring routes
Accenture’s example was an apprenticeship route for people without a traditional four-year IT degree, including community college students and people changing careers after earning degrees in other fields. CIO described locally developed programs that combined employment with on-the-job training.
Rank #4
Pallavi Verma, then identified as Accenture’s senior managing director of North America Quality and Risk Lead, said: “It’s really about providing opportunity for people and for us to open up our pool of people. There’s many pools of talent and we recognize that we shouldn’t be looking at just one pool of talent.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to assess whether a program is working
The examples are not ranked by results. For employers considering a similar strategy, the most useful comparison is whether a program fits the people it aims to reach and whether the employer can assess what happens after participation.
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- Who is it for? Distinguish early-career candidates, career changers, experienced returners, and current employees; their barriers and support needs differ.
- What is the entry route? Compare internships, apprenticeships, bootcamps, scholarships, coaching, and returnships by the skills and experience each provides.
- What support is included? Check whether the program provides pay, tuition support, mentoring, hands-on work, or a clear connection to hiring opportunities.
- What happens next? Track participation alongside hiring, retention, advancement, and candidate experience. A program’s reach alone does not show whether participants can build lasting careers.
What the reported business-benefit figures can—and cannot—show
CIO’s article attributed several business-performance figures to a 2022 BuiltIn report: 2.5 times higher cash flow per employee at diverse companies; three in four job seekers and workers preferring diverse companies; 19% higher revenue for companies with diverse management; and 15% higher financial returns than the industry median for gender-diverse companies. The underlying BuiltIn report was not reviewed for this article, so these figures should be treated as secondhand claims rather than independently confirmed or current estimates.
More importantly, those figures do not show that the five programs profiled by CIO produced the stated outcomes. The feature offers examples and leaders’ accounts, not a controlled evaluation tying a particular initiative to financial performance.
Source and date
Program descriptions and quotations are from Sarah White, “DEI that works: 5 companies reaping the benefits of IT diversity strategies,” CIO, January 23, 2023. The article’s descriptions are historical; current program operation and eligibility terms are not established here.
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