On Ramps

On Ramps… the ability to join, an entranceway.

I’ve worked for a few companies that have a policy that goes along the lines of: Our recruitment targets are engineers who have 2-3 years experience. WTF? Who gives them the 2-3 years?

This isn’t just a pondering, it’s actually a, who exactly is going to give these promising young people the 2-3 years?

My POV is pretty simple on this one, creating on ramps for people is not a side benefit of feeling good about ourselves, it is our responsibility to do so.

When we work long and hard to become leaders I genuinely feel that we need to use our positions to effect better change for the next.

Our success can never be just about ourselves, our successes and the influence that affords us means we should also give back, create the open, create the create. As a tech leader I feel that we must create the on ramps because it’s our responsibility to offer opportunity and contribute to our (tech) community.

Interns, grads, return to work… Whatever, wherever and however we can, these are just some examples.

Covid-19 has put some ice on our current on ramp programmes and if there is anything more exciting about coming out of the thaw locally where we are, it’s to kickstart this.

I can’t say how many amazing and capable people I’ve personally seen come through these types of initiatives. It’s not BS or rhetoric, it’s a real thing.

I’m keen to not zero in on the 2-3 year experience people, I’m keen to have that too, but I’m also super enthusiastic about awesome people being provided an opportunity and then genuinely say, we believe in you.

Build the on ramps and they will come.