Work-Based Learning Works

How NERDiT NOW is securing its workforce—ahead of you

CONTRIBUTED BY THE DELAWARE OFFICE OF WORK-BASED LEARNING

THE GAME OF FINDING qualified job candidates has changed dramatically in recent years, leaving many Delaware employers frustrated and struggling to fill positions in high-demand industries.

NERDiT NOW has figured out how to get ahead of the curve with support from the Delaware Office of Work-Based Learning (DOWBL).

DOWBL helped NERDiT NOW set up a sustained internship program with Delaware Technical Community College. Now, this growing IT organization not only gets extra help during busy times, but they are exposing and cultivating future employees on every part of their full business cycle before they’ve even made a job offer.

NERDiT NOW is a Wilmington tech company with an innovative business model and a compelling mission to close the wealth and income divide by addressing “digital deficiencies” in under-resourced communities. Their business recycles, restores, donates, and sells devices to ensure high-quality technology is accessible.

Best of all, the organization is committed to finding, training, and hiring its technicians from the communities it serves. DOWBL helps NERDiT NOW jumpstart this process by matching them with qualified IT interns from Delaware Tech.

“The Delaware Office of Work-Based Learning makes student connections work,” says Jasmine Morton-Thompson, director of operations at NERDiT Cares. “Because DOWBL gives us people who are actually interested in IT, they can actually do the work. We get extra hands.”

When they come to NERDiT NOW, Delaware Tech students are supported by the organization’s more experienced apprentices who mentor them through every aspect of the tech recycling business—from fixing laptops to shipping orders. And that gives NERDiT NOW plenty of opportunities to evaluate potential employees, excite them about the organization, and train them exactly the way they want. A short time later, these interns become new hires ready to hit the ground running.

“The way employers recruit and hire staff is changing rapidly,” says Bryan Horsey, director of DOWBL. “Our job at the Office of Work-Based Learning is to help employers keep up by introducing them to future employees months or years ahead of everyone else. Industry introductions, training, engagement, and loyalty is now all happening with students before they graduate. And that’s a win for everyone. Employers are finding and hiring qualified candidates more quickly, and students are entering the Delaware workforce more prepared than ever.”

DOWBL puts employers in front of future candidates as early as eighth grade, when schools are introducing students to various industries through the Delaware Pathways curriculum.

“The lines between high school and college career preparation are blurring,” says Horsey. “More high school students are taking advantage of partner opportunities—like dual enrollment through Delaware Tech—so they’re gaining skills and looking to connect with their future employers much earlier than in years past.” With touch points ranging from job shadows and guest speaking opportunities to multi-week internships, DOWBL offers employers like NERDiT NOW an inside track to students well ahead of traditional timelines.

“Our relationship with DOWBL is sustainable,” says Morton-Thompson. “We get extra hands and potential employees. It’s one of the best relationships we have.”

Employers can learn more about how to use work-based learning, including qualified internships, to boost their recruitment efforts by contacting DOWBL and learning more at deowbl.org.