There is no right or wrong pathway to fulfilling your dreams. With so many options, from traditional education to finding resources on apps like YouTube and TikTok, people have several ways they can tap into how they begin or pivot into the working path of their dreams.
Within this ecosystem are also groups providing traditional education alternatives like accelerators and development programs that allow people from diverse backgrounds to have a leg up in industries. NPower exists within this ecosystem and is doing its part to ensure those who want access to tech have it.
According to the company website, NPower’s mission is to “create pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities.” However, there are nuanced hurdles that women experience, leading the company to launch Command Shift. The goal is to increase the number of women entering the tech industry by focusing on three key areas: attract and inspire young women from non-traditional backgrounds to explore careers in technology; expand the number of companies and individuals who hire and retain women; and achieve pay equity for women in tech by addressing the barriers to visibility and access that many face when seeking employment in the sector.
Leading Command Shift is Executive Director Candice Dixon, who is focused on advancing DEI principles and leading a coalition of women, including business leaders, corporations, nonprofits, and community organizations, to tackle the significant inequities faced by women in tech.
“One of the things that’s really important to us [Command Shift], especially as we think about the gaps that we’re filling within tech companies, especially when we think about DEI, is we want to make sure that we’re increasing the representation of women and especially women of color in technology careers,” Dixon explained. “But we also, as a whole, want to make sure that we’re creating opportunities for companies to recruit more diverse talent.”
What’s helped navigate this work is the organization’s Equation for Equality. According to Dixon, that framework and approach has helped the coalition understand the potential career paths available to women, particularly those with the skills to succeed in tech but who are not currently recruited. These women may not have had the chance to attend college, or they have earned degrees but still lack the resources to transition into tech careers. By leveraging these talents, the initiative aims to bridge the gap for women seeking to enter tech while supporting the industry’s need for diverse talent.
“One example that we often use is the customer service manager role,” Dixon stated. “That individual frequently has management experience, experience in scheduling software and CRM, and they’re good decision makers — all those skills are valuable in tech.”
She continued: “So we believe that if we take that individual who is highly skilled and if we provide them with some bridge training and some last-mile training, then we can help them transition into technology careers that will be impactful, and they will be in a position where they’re leveraging what they’ve learned outside of tech to make the experience in tech better.”
None of this is done haphazardly. Women are prepared through Path2TECH, a program that transitions women/non-binary/trans individuals from low-wage, entry-level jobs into high-demand tech careers by combining targeted technical training, mentorship, and cutting-edge AI tools. The curriculum is tailored to employer needs, offering instruction in programming languages such as Python and front-end code like JavaScript along with the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications. By mastering AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, graduates enter the tech workforce with a distinct competitive edge.
“We want to make sure that everybody that comes through the program is going to be successful,” said Nick Javaid, director of advance training at NPower. “We want to ensure that we are not wasting your time getting you into the program and then getting you out. With our curriculum, you get a portfolio when you walk out of Path2TECH, so you have some concrete skills to show the employer, and that’s a big thing for us.”
To date, Path2TECH has partnered with about 50 women who have enrolled in the program. With training locations and opportunities in Atlanta, GA; New York, NY; Dallas, TX; and Washington, DC, graduates leave with ways to leverage their existing soft and hard skills to become full-stack developers.
“Even though I just graduated a week ago, my career is already shifting excitingly. I’ve already had a few job interviews, which honestly surprised me — I wasn’t expecting things to move that fast,” recent Path2TECH graduate Tyeisha Stroud stated.
She continued: “A huge personal milestone for me has been working on an app called Kids Play, which helps parents find activities for young kids in their area. As a mom, I know firsthand how hard it can be to find fun, age-appropriate things to do with little ones, and I wanted to make that easier. The app isn’t finalized yet, but the fact that I’ve been able to develop something like this is a huge step for me.”
