A local workforce development program just graduated its first cohort, but the path to landing its students jobs hasn’t been as straightforward as planned. 

Over the last three years, Launchpad has helped graduates hone the skills to break into tech. But since 2022, the widespread adoption of AI and an evolving entry-level job market have made the ultimate goal — full-time employment — harder to reach, Dannyelle Austin, executive director of Launchpad, told Technical.ly. 

Only one of 12 graduates found full-time work as an outreach specialist at Launchpad. Two students landed internships with one of Launchpad’s partners, SEER Interactive, and eight others are continuing to work in the program’s consulting venture. But that’s no surprise, considering the ongoing trends of a dip in job postings since 2022 and a stagnating software industry.

“If you’re a … young person right out of high school, how are you gonna get experience if you can’t get an entry-level job?” 

Dannyelle Austin, executive director of Launchpad

“It’s really hard to find entry-level jobs,” Austin said. “Entry-level jobs all say you need experience. If you’re a … young person right out of high school, how are you gonna get experience if you can’t get an entry-level job?” 

When Launchpad first developed its curriculum, there was a demand for software engineers and full-stack developers, Austin said. There were more than three times the number of job postings for software developers in 2022 compared to now, according to Indeed. 

The program recruited its students from high schools to train them for those roles, with internship opportunities built in. Teachers in the program shifted curriculum as AI became more popular, hoping it would make the students more employable, she said. 

But even that experience hasn’t been enough to stand out. Tech job postings are down 35% from early 2020 to now, according to Indeed. This means it’s harder for students, like Launchpad graduate Antonio Archer, to land a full-time role.

Archer is one of the part-time interns at local digital marketing agency SEER Interactive, thanks to an interview facilitated by the program. Beyond the opportunities he’s gotten through existing connections like that, it’s been difficult for him to get noticed as he tries to land a full-time role next year.

“I have not been able to just go out and be like, ‘Hi, I’m Antonio Archer, these are my certifications,” Archer said. “That method just doesn’t work anymore. It has to be, ‘Hey, I know this person.’” 

More real-world experience required

Launchpad welcomed its first cohort in 2022 to expose more young people to the tech field. 

Most of the graduating students were recruited in 11th grade and went through all three phases of the program. Later phases helped them make connections and gain tech skills while finishing high school. 

The graduates’ final capstone projects required them to work with real clients, too, adding even more hands-on experience to their resumes.  

Seeing the current job market, however, Austin said the team is set to tweak its strategies for the next round. They aim to create more work opportunities for students while they’re still in the program, like an externship or apprenticeship at the end of it. 

“It’s able to show not only do I have the full stack engineering skills, but I have problem-solving skills,” Austin said. “I’m able to help diagnose problems, I’m able to help explore solutions, and then able to actually generate a solution that has a real impact.”

The recent addition of the program’s consulting venture is another effort to get students in front of possible employers, rather than waiting for empty roles to pop up, Austin said. 

These opportunities not only build up students’ portfolios, but they also help grads build confidence around their skills, according to recent grad Archer. 

“A lot of developers get real imposter syndrome, like, do I really belong here?” he said. “I haven’t had that feeling at all.”