Breaking Barriers' Offers Tech Training to Employees, Provides Community Outreach

​Yohonna Hakeem made a drastic career move in 2021—leaving her job as HIV/AIDS prevention coordinator for the Louisiana Department of Health in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic to enter the tech field.

Today, the 28-year-old woman is a Verizon Thrive Apprentice, learning skills applicable to the telecommunications, information technology and technology fields. She credits the mentoring she received through Breaking Barriers' outreach program for helping her land the apprenticeship. 

Breaking Barriers is a joint program of global business and technology consultancy Slalom, based in Seattle, and Microsoft. The program is open to all Slalom employees and also has a community outreach arm to help boost the technical skills of individuals in underrepresented groups, according to Bianca Blanco, manager of Slalom's technical development programs.

Hakeem was studying full-stack software development remotely through Generation USA's free four-month program when she learned Breaking Barriers was piloting a mentoring aspect of the program. Generation USA is among the educational nonprofits with which Slalom partners.

The mentoring she received was valuable, Hakeem said, and she liked being able to select her mentor. Ideally, she was looking for a Black woman with a technology background and at least five years of experience at a large company in a position beyond that of coder.

Remi Popoola, senior partner technology specialist at Microsoft, fit the bill and offered insightful recommendations, Hakeem said.

During the monthlong mentorship, Popoola offered career and interviewing advice, including telling Hakeem to be prepared to talk about how Verizon could benefit from having her as an apprentice along with what she hoped to gain from the experience and her career goals.

"It's a really great opportunity if you're new to the tech field and don't have a lot of familiarity with the interview process," Hakeem said. "You gain insights from leaders in the industry and make all kinds of connections."

Upskilling Employees

Breaking Barriers also is a way for Slalom employees to enhance their skills and advance their careers, according to Blanco. Participants work in small cohorts. Training involves self-paced learning, hands-on practice, access to tech mentors at Slalom and Microsoft and networking with Microsoft experts.

"We have participants who are early career; for some of them, this is their first job out of college," Blanco said. "We also have seasoned leaders up to director level who are involved because we know the tech skills gap for underrepresented groups isn't targeted to one age group or demographic."

Employee participants have earned 413 Microsoft certifications since Breaking Barriers' launch in 2021, "showing that many of our participants continue to earn additional technical certifications even after they have completed the program," Blanco pointed out.

Graduates can develop leadership skills by volunteering as Breaking Barriers mentors, facilitating workshops, reviewing resumes and conducting mock interviews.

"There are so many programs out there at other companies that focus on just technology [skills] or professional development. This includes both components. And we pay it forward with our community partners," Blanco added.

To date, Breaking Barriers has supported 230 community members through the program's technical workshops, mentoring and career coaching, and Slalom expects that number to reach 500 by the end of 2022, according to Blanco.

"We're hoping to create a better future for our people and our communities." 

Other SHRM resources:
Taco Bell Pilots Business Boot Camp to Promote Leadership Diversity, SHRM Online, February 2022