New MDRC Research Highlights the Importance of Accessible Pathways Into Tech Careers

As technology transforms every industry, creating pathways into high-growth technology careers has never been more important. A new report from MDRC, Expanding Access to Tech Careers: Baseline and Early Implementation Findings from the Google Career Certificates Fund Evaluation, examines how workforce organizations are helping learners build the skills, confidence, and support systems needed to succeed in today’s digital economy.

The report explores the early implementation of the Google Career Certificates Fund (GCCF), an initiative designed to expand access to industry-recognized technology credentials through partnerships with nonprofit workforce organizations, including Per Scholas.

At Per Scholas, Google Career Certificates were integrated into a comprehensive workforce development model that goes well beyond technical instruction. Learners also received professional development, individualized career coaching, employer connections, wraparound supports, and continued alumni engagement; an approach designed to prepare graduates not just to earn a credential, but to launch lasting careers.

MDRC’s early findings reinforce an important lesson for the workforce development field: expanding access to high-growth careers requires more than making training available. Learners benefit from comprehensive support that helps them enroll, persist through training, navigate financial challenges, and successfully connect to employment opportunities.

Among the report’s findings, financial access emerged as a significant factor in learner participation. Many learners cited Per Scholas’ Zero Percent Loan as instrumental in helping them enroll in and remain engaged with full-time training by reducing financial barriers during the program.

The report also highlights the importance of strong employer partnerships and career navigation in helping learners translate newly acquired skills into meaningful employment. These findings align closely with the Per Scholas model, which has spent more than 30 years working alongside employers to co-design training programs that respond to real workforce needs while equipping learners with both technical and professional skills.

As demand for technology talent continues to grow across every sector of the economy, the report underscores the need for workforce development models that combine industry-aligned training with holistic learner support and direct employer engagement. Building a more inclusive technology workforce requires removing barriers to opportunity while ensuring learners have the resources they need to succeed from training through career advancement.

For Per Scholas, the research affirms what we’ve seen across our campuses for decades: talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. When learners have access to high-quality training, personalized support, and strong employer connections, they can launch careers that create lasting economic mobility—for themselves, their families, and their communities.

We are grateful to MDRC, Google, and our fellow workforce partners for contributing to a growing body of evidence on what works to expand access to high-growth careers. As the workforce continues to evolve, research like this helps strengthen the field and informs how organizations, employers, and policymakers can work together to build a more inclusive, future-ready talent pipeline.

Read the full MDRC report: Expanding Access to Tech Careers: Baseline and Early Implementation Findings from the Google Career Certificates Fund Evaluation.