Thinking Outside the Box - Social Sustainability in Tech Education and Recruitment

Explore innovative approaches to tech education and recruitment that prioritize social sustainability and diversity in this 57-minute conference talk from NDC TechTown. Discover how GET Academy has revolutionized talent identification by moving beyond traditional degree-based qualifications to focus on competency-based learning, real-world experience, and growth mindset development. Learn about skills-first recruitment strategies that assess true capabilities rather than conventional credentials, and understand how 21st-century skills like problem-solving, adaptability, collaboration, and communication serve as core success factors. Examine project-based learning methodologies that train developers through real-world coding challenges that mirror actual job market demands, while exploring industry collaboration models that ensure candidates are job-ready from day one. Understand the business case for diversity in tech teams, supported by research showing how diverse groups outperform homogenous ones in problem-solving, innovation, and decision-making. Gain insights from concrete examples of how non-traditional developers from underrepresented backgrounds, self-taught programmers, and neurodivergent individuals have successfully entered and thrived in the tech industry at companies like DNB, Google, and IBM. Walk away with actionable strategies for building hiring processes that prioritize skills over background, creating more inclusive recruitment channels, and developing alternative education models that uncover hidden talent to build stronger, more creative teams for a future-proof tech industry.