Case Study
Penske improved IT workforce diversity with UST Step IT Up, retained 81% of program graduates
OUR CLIENT
Founded in 1969, Penske Truck Leasing is a global transportation services company. With one of the largest fleets in the industry, the company generates revenue of $8 billion and employs 36,000 people.
THE CHALLENGE
Improving diversity in IT workforce
Penske leaders wanted to improve diversity by attracting more women, especially women of color, to join its IT department to support the company's global technology systems. Penske leaders also wanted to upskill their current workforce. The company struggled to meet its HR needs through traditional talent management and recruiting processes.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Engaged with UST Step IT Up program to deliver STEM, IT training in local communities
Penske began working with UST Step IT Up, a unique accelerated talent development program that offers science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), and IT training for women, minorities, and veterans in local communities. UST Step IT Up is an approved Department of Labor apprenticeship program that’s designed to help solve our nation’s technology talent shortage.
After a successful recruiting effort in 2014 for Java developers, Penske decided to partner more closely with UST Step IT Up by creating a customized curriculum designed specifically for potential Penske job candidates. The curriculum covered the company’s technologies and IT systems as well as its culture and values. This more tailored training approach paid off because all 18 job candidates were offered contractor positions upon graduation in 2017. A year later, they all became full-time employees. Today in 2022, 16 of the 18 employees still work at Penske.
“In the technology industry, there is a war on talent. It is very difficult to attract diverse applicants with an IT skillset. We collaborated with UST Step IT Up to design a training program that would enable us to attract the diverse talent we want in our workforce. That was our plan, and it’s been successful” - Paul Maglionico, VP – System Development & IT Support Services, Penske Truck Leasing
With the third cohort in training, Penske will have 29 potential job candidates, educated specifically for IT careers at Penske, with the skills to quickly assimilate into the company's IT department as contractors and eventually full-time employees. One of the participants in this cohort is a current Penske employee who's gaining new technology skills to broaden his or her career opportunities within the company.
THE IMPACT
Increased diversity, filled critical IT jobs, retained 81% of UST Step IT Up graduates
With a successful 8-year partnership, UST Step IT Up is helping Penske build a more diverse workforce one cohort at a time.
“What differentiates UST Step IT Up from other training programs is its willingness to partner with companies to tailor the program to meet our specific needs. They have a commitment to their program candidates, and their trainers and coaches are just top-notch. UST Step IT Up has been a great program to source the right kind of talent we need.” - Paul Maglionico, VP – System Development & IT Support Services, Penske Truck Leasing.
The program provides highly coveted, valuable IT training to women, minorities, and veterans who may not have prior academic experience in computer science, IT, or STEM fields. After months of intense training in the UST Step IT Up program, the candidates are ready to apply what they've learned to become successful Penske employees.
The 81% retention rate of UST Step IT Up graduates is validation that the program is working for Penske by producing highly trained, motivated employees—many of whom have been promoted and become mentors. One UST Step IT Up Penske employee has also earned a bachelor’s degree.
ABOUT UST STEP IT UP
In this rigorous, accelerated STEM and IT training program, students gain a solid foundation in computer programming and then progress to more complex programming languages and techniques. Courses typically take four to seven months and 600+ hours of classroom time.
UST Step IT Up has successfully trained more than 750 women, minorities, and veterans, placing them in careers at Fortune 500 companies.
RESOURCES
Learn more about UST Step IT Up.