Skip to content
‹ Back to IndustriesEducation Technology

The DisruptED World of Tech Talent with TEKsystems: Future-Proofing the Workforce Through Inclusive Hiring and Non-Traditional Education

This episode of DisruptED explores how the tech talent shortage is being addressed through inclusive hiring practices and non-traditional education pathways. With automation and AI reshaping workforce needs, TEKsystems discusses strategies for future-proofing organizations by looking beyond four-year degrees to find and develop skilled candidates. The conversation highlights how employers and staffing firms can broaden their talent pipelines in a rapidly evolving labor market.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Education Technology teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

Promoted content from DisruptED on MarketScale.

By Ron Stefanski · · DisruptedDiversity in TechFaith JohnsonJohn Lullen
Share

Key takeaways

01

Traditional four-year degree pipelines are insufficient to meet growing demand for tech talent.

02

Inclusive hiring and non-traditional education pathways (bootcamps, certifications, apprenticeships) are critical to closing the skills gap.

03

AI adoption and automation are accelerating the urgency for workforce transformation and upskilling strategies.

Free workspace

Turn your Education Technology expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI on a free trial of the MarketScale platform for qualifying companies. No demo required, no credit card.

Try it Free

In a workforce reshaped by automation, accelerated AI adoption, and persistent labor shortages, the demand for skilled tech talent has never been more urgent—or more difficult to meet. The traditional pipelines, namely college degrees and four-year institutions, are no longer producing enough candidates to meet the explosive growth in tech roles. With tech jobs expected to grow at twice the rate of the overall workforce in the next decade, organizations must urgently reimagine how and where they find talent.

So, how do companies build a future-ready, inclusive tech workforce when the old rules no longer apply?

In this episode of DisruptED, host Ron J. Stefanski sits down with Faith Johnson, Vice President of Global Human Resources at TEKsystems, and John Lullen, Managing Executive of Marketplace Inclusion, to explore the changing dynamics of talent development in the technology sector. From non-traditional training programs to responsible AI integration, this conversation delves into how TEKsystems is tackling the tech talent skills gap—and making a social impact while doing it.

Key takeaways from the conversation…

  • Alternative Pathways Are the New Normal: TEKsystems’ partnership with organizations like Per Scholas helps individuals without traditional degrees train for in-demand tech roles through immersive, often short-term programs.
  • Inclusion Is a Business Imperative: Diverse teams bring better solutions, and intentional workforce development strategies—like inclusive hiring and supplier engagement—are core to TEKsystems’ mission.
  • AI Changes Everything: With the rapid advancement of generative and agentic AI, companies must not only adopt these technologies, but also ensure employees of all ages and backgrounds are trained to use them responsibly.

Faith Johnson is Vice President of Global Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, and Corporate Social Responsibility at TEKsystems, with over 25 years of experience driving strategic HR and workforce development initiatives across the Allegis Group. She leads global efforts in employee relations, recruiting, DEI, and corporate impact, aligning business growth with community engagement and talent transformation. A long-time advocate for inclusive hiring and social responsibility, she also serves on the national board of Per Scholas and the advisory board of the One Love Foundation.

John Lullen is the Managing Executive of Marketplace Inclusion at TEKsystems, where he leads inclusive hiring, workforce modernization, and supplier diversity strategies for multinational clients. With over 12 years in the tech and talent services industry, he has held various leadership roles including Business Operations Manager and Strategic Account Lead. Lullen also contributes to broader industry impact as a board member with organizations like Per Scholas and Experience Futures, driving social innovation and inclusive workforce development.

Article written by MarketScale.

DisruptED

Part of this channel

DisruptED

Education, workforce, and manufacturing futures with Ron J. Stefanski.

Visit the channel

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Education Technology starts with a company putting its implementation leads, instructional designers, and district partners on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Procurement teams read long before they ever call, and your implementers get to answer their questions first.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

RS
Ron Stefanski
B2B Weekly

The week in Education Technology, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Education Technology: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Education Technology buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free Trial

You just read one Education Technology expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your implementation leads, instructional designers, and district partners into the articles, video, and social content Education Technology buyers are searching for. Start a free trial and see it with your own people. For qualifying companies, no credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What your free trial includes

Hands-on access to the MarketScale platform
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
No demo required. No credit card.
For qualifying companies. Company confirmation required.

More Education Technology Insights

AI didn't break integrity, it exposed credentialism

AI didn't break integrity, it exposed credentialism

Phil Hill argues AI is exposing a preexisting higher-ed flaw: institutions built around credentials rather than demonstrated learning. In his view, better cheating detection won’t solve it; schools need clearer assessment of what students can actually do, drawing on competency-based education, authentic assessment, and frameworks like the University of Sydney’s two-stream model for AI-allowed and AI-excluded work.

  • 01Credentialism—treating the credential as the goal rather than evidence of learning—creates incentives for shortcuts that existed before AI; students pursue credentials as boxes to check rather than milestones in learning.
  • 02States like Michigan and Texas are redefining postsecondary credentials to include skill certificates alongside degrees, but broader definitions only matter if assessment measures actual learning, not just completion.
  • 03Hill’s three learning-centered models include competency-based education, authentic assessment, and the University of Sydney’s two-stream assessment framework.

Oct 6, 2026

Lewis University picks Ellucian Student to support its 2026–2029 strategic plan

Lewis University picks Ellucian Student to support its 2026–2029 strategic plan

Lewis University, which serves more than 7,000 students, will move to Ellucian Student, HCM and Finance. The rollout runs through Project Tailwind, a key part of the university's 2026–2029 Taking Flight strategic plan. The release lists support for a growing population of traditional, online, workforce and lifelong learners among the platform's goals.

  • 01Excelsior University deployed Scholarship Universe early while its Ellucian Student implementation is still ongoing.

Oct 2, 2026

CoSN tells school districts to plan for adoption before they buy new tech

CoSN tells school districts to plan for adoption before they buy new tech

CoSN's 2026 Blaschke Report and companion toolkit give K-12 districts a plan for technology change. Its main point is timing. Districts should define the problem, the success measure and staff workload before procurement, then run rollouts through change champions and a council that reviews significant technology changes.

  • 01CoSN’s toolkit pushes planning before procurement: define the problem, affected groups, timeline, and success measures, and account for competing initiatives and implementation fatigue.
  • 02The toolkit urges leaders to account for competing initiatives and implementation fatigue before procurement or a districtwide rollout.
  • 03After launch, districts should track adoption indicators, review feedback and help requests, keep refresher training going, and conduct a post-implementation review.

Oct 2, 2026

Explore More Education Technology Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Education Technology.

Browse Education Technology Hub

About the Experts

RS
Ron Stefanski

Host, DisruptED

Ron Stefanski is the host of DisruptED, a show focused on innovation and disruption in education and workforce development. He is an educator, entrepreneur, and online business expert who has built multiple content and education platforms. Stefanski is known for interviewing thought leaders at the intersection of technology, learning, and career development.

TEKsystems is a leading provider of business and technology services, specializing in IT staffing, talent management, and workforce solutions. The company works with organizations to source, place, and develop tech talent across a wide range of industries and skill sets.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Education Technology and beyond.

Book a Demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512