ServiceNow to help close the “opportunity gap” and create equitable paths to digital careers for all

Oct. 26, 2022 – ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) today announced RiseUp with ServiceNow, a global program designed to skill one million people on the company’s platform by 2024. The program will fuel a new economy of in-demand, job-ready talent with an emphasis on faster, more equitable career paths in the high-growth ServiceNow ecosystem.  

According to IDC, ninety percent of organizations will experience a digital transformation-related IT skills shortage by 2025, costing more than $6.5 trillion globally due to delayed product releases, reduced customer satisfaction, and loss of business.1 As business leaders double-down on a select number of powerful platforms that deliver fast time to value, ServiceNow’s reach and scale offer customers, partners, and prospective talent the opportunity to help tackle some of the biggest problems facing business leaders today. Unlike other workflow solutions that only address one business function or industry, the Now Platform spans the entire enterprise, offering opportunities in burgeoning new sectors such as data analysis, platform development, workflow, and experience design. 

“Digital transformation requires a talent transformation, so ServiceNow is creating a new kind of career path,” said Lara Caimi, ServiceNow chief customer and partner officer. “Instead of focusing on the skills gap, we believe it’s time to focus on the opportunity gap and broaden the definition of tech talent so more people can benefit from the demand for digital transformation. We’re creating new opportunities for both technical and non-technical talent, to help more people advance into higher-paying roles across our ecosystem, regardless of their background. RiseUp with ServiceNow will empower people to build meaningful careers and enable customers and partners to find much needed talent so they can thrive in the digital economy.”  

RiseUp with ServiceNow expands what it means to be considered tech talent by emphasizing whole-person competencies and “power skills” such as critical thinking, interpersonal communication, and creativity. The program builds toward a more diverse, inclusive workforce by creating meaningful opportunities for candidates to gain the skills necessary to land highly coveted technical roles.   

“While the need for tech transformation is wide, the opportunities to be skilled and job-ready are not,” said Karen Pavlin, chief equity and inclusion officer at ServiceNow. “RiseUp with ServiceNow opens new pathways into technical careers so a broader, more inclusive group of people can thrive in the digital economy. This is about celebrating our diverse experiences and matching those unique skills with the greatest need so we can solve the biggest challenges of our time.” 

RiseUp with ServiceNow focuses on three pillars: 

• Lowering barriers to learning: With more than 600 free courses and 18 job-related certification paths, Now Learning allows individuals to work at their own pace. More than 325,000 people have already completed 2.3 million courses this year.  

• Expanding opportunities for tech talent: ServiceNow NextGen offers in-house academies and training partnerships with non-profit and government agencies. The redesigned ServiceNow Community also connects over 450,000 members with peer-to-peer networking opportunities, learning forums, virtual events, and more. 
• Placing newly skilled talent in jobs: A commitment to grow the new ServiceNow Partner Placement Program will help customers and partners source, train, and assess talent from diverse backgrounds with the expectation to scale to 25 total partners by the end of 2023.  

“I think businesses should really look at the capabilities people have to offer and not just the last couple of positions they had,” said Ebony Akkebala, ServiceNow developer at Synoptek, and a former member of the ServiceNow NextGen Program. “Before participating in the RiseUp with ServiceNow program, I’d never had the opportunity to show my skills and what I am capable of. There are great candidates out there, they just need the same access and opportunity that I was given.” 

RiseUp with ServiceNow complements the company’s investments in recruitment and career advancement for its own employees, along with strategic investments in employee growth and development solutions for customers and partners. 

What ServiceNow customers, partners, and community members are saying:  

“For 20 years, I was with many large-scale enterprise service desks at energy, insurance, banking, semiconductor, and tech companies, but felt like I had taken my journey as far as I could,” said Gene Manuel, solutions architecture manager, Accenture. “Through RiseUp with ServiceNow, I’ve been able to translate my skills to different projects, companies, and personal interests over the years, getting experience in different sectors and industries. ServiceNow skills are in high demand, and I am thankful I jumped on the ServiceNow rocket ship, which led me to where I am in my career today.” 

“As a strategic alliance partner with ServiceNow, we are committed to helping companies become more agile and productive in an era of rapid change,” said Paul Webb, EY Global ServiceNow Leader. “This commitment is reinforced by our teams working together to innovate and develop frictionless technology experiences for our global clients and upskilling talent of all abilities for future success.” 

“Fujitsu’s declared Purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation”, says Carey Blunt, Global Head of ServiceNow Offerings at Fujitsu. “However, the global IT industry currently faces millions of unfilled vacancies for people with the digital skills needed for sustainable economic and social development. By partnering with ServiceNow to create the future skills needed to build sustainable digital platforms, we aim to address the digital skills gap, help our customers remain at the cutting edge of technology innovation, while providing opportunities for underrepresented groups and non-traditional talent pipelines.” 

“We would absolutely recommend the NextGen program to any employers looking to place passionate, talented candidates,” said Rachel Thompson, customer delivery lead at whyaye. “For us, there are no downsides. We’re not only giving extremely deserving people an opportunity to start a career in technology, but we’re also bringing fresh new perspectives into the business. I think the fact that we’re looking to repeat the process this year says it all. We can’t wait to meet the next generation––pun intended––of whyaye team members.” 

“Working with ServiceNow has been instrumental in building the capabilities and talent needed for the digital workforce of today and tomorrow,” said Gareth Dickey, Lead Product Owner at Lloyds Banking Group. “Through our partnership with ServiceNow we are committed to addressing talent shortages currently faced by companies and help participants secure long-term employment.”