Apprenticeship programs in tech allow employees from nontraditional backgrounds to gain applicable skills for jobs in the industry.

At Callowhill-based Azavea, they’ve been used to strategically build its own talent pipeline piece by piece, targeting untapped communities and applicant pools. Through mentorship, client work and on-the-job learning, the program helps individuals who don’t have related experience or a formal degree learn software development.

VP of Finance and Administration Karissa Justice has seen apprenticeships at the geospatial technology company help people with marketable skill sets develop new skills and then go on to have fulfilling careers. Apprenticeships in previous years have also allowed Azavea to recruit immediately for open entry-level roles at the company from within the apprentice pool, some staying for eight to 10 years.

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