First Female DeVry President Explains Upskilling Gap For Women And POC

“I’ve been with DeVry for nearly 20 years; some people say two decades, but that makes me sound old,” the 44-year-old Jordanian-born Elise Awwad said in her characteristically rich, deep voice as we sat down for a chat in her contemporary-style office. Behind her was a statue of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one that evidently inspired Awwad in her 20-year career journey from student advisor to the university’s first female president in its 92-year history.

She paused, appreciatively. “I’ve been given opportunities to continue to rise and try new things and learn my way through it. If I hadn’t had access to education and opportunities, I would never be in this position.”

But Awwad, as she herself keenly acknowledges, is one of very few women to be afforded such privileges and career advantages at this level.

The upskilling gap

Coincidentally, our conversation occurred at a time when new data had just been released from a DeVry-sponsored September study, which revealed significant gaps in upskilling opportunities for women—and people of color—shedding a new layer of insight into the continuing challenges of minorities and women in the workplace.

However, there appears to be a disconnect between employers and employees with regards to expectations for skills development in the workplace. While 97 percent of employees and 96 percent of employers respectively acknowledge upskilling as essential or a nice-to-have as a work benefit, neither group appear to be delivering on the needs of the evolving workforce.

Some of the most valuable skills underscored in the survey included, amongst others, business and financial skills, AI and software engineering/coding, data analytics, and digital marketing.

“Why do you feel it’s the case that men have more access to upskilling than women?,” I asked Awwad. “What’s underpinning that?”

The gender and ethnic divide

“Despite recognizing the importance of skills development and the need to upskill in general, many women and even persons of color are just not participating due to barriers in both access and alignment.”

“Women face very, very significant challenges in getting the access to upskilling and even finding the time to do so. And it’s creating this gender divide. I think women struggle with understanding how to get the process started. They know they need to upskill, they know they need to learn new things in order to continue to progress in their careers.

“But then you’ve got 36 percent of them saying, ‘I just don’t know where to begin.’ And that’s a problem, right? And unfortunately, a bigger barrier is the fact that 41 percent have said that time management is an issue. Women have families. They’re caretakers. They play a number of different roles. There’s demands and priorities that often take precedence. So for upskilling, you have to be deliberate about creating room for that.

“We call it the say/do gap. Basically, I say I need it. But I’m not able to actually do it.”

How do we remedy the problem?

“You were going from a Gen Z/millennial age in your twenties and thirties, to upskilling and simultaneously climbing the career ladder. What advice would you give to a working mother, for example, at that age? How can they move from saying ‘I’ll do it’ to actually doing it?” I asked inquisitively.

“Great question,” Awwad smiled and nodded. “Find a flexible program. I cannot underscore enough the word flexible. There is so much out there online.”

Thinking back to when she started as student advisor at the age of 24, she said, “Back when I started, distance learning online was so new. And people were like, what is this? Is this going to stay? Now, access to online education is normalized. So once you find a flexible program, you then need to be disciplined about creating time for it, and be real with yourself. If you feel like now is not a good time, then set a goal for the future.

“Talk to your employer about your aspirations; and get their alignment towards helping you progress and get to your desired career.”

At the same time, paradoxically, there is notable disparity between the fact that persons of color represent the greatest proportion of interest in upskilling opportunities, yet a startling 42 percent lack the required access to employer-funded upskilling and opportunities.

Awwad suggests that the onus falls upon employers in this instance. “There are actionable solutions that I’ve seen work, for example, actively and visibly promote opportunities for your teams to equally get involved in integrated upskilling as a part of your organization’s ERGs and DEI programs.

“Take it a step further and provide access, financial support, and flexibility,” she recommends.

“And if your employees are struggling because they say, ‘I have a family to take care of so I don’t have time,’ employers can partner with educational institutions that have the access and the content ready to provide tailored concise learning cycles and credentials for those non-traditional learners. For example, we have a part of our organization called The Brightworks, in which we partner with employers, and we provide workforce solutions to help them with these issues.”

Equally, if employers struggle to afford such costs, Awwad shares that there are easy ways to implement tuition reimbursement programs. “Find organizations or universities that will look into a tuition reimbursement amount and provide an affordable program for your employees. The benefit is that this won’t only assist in overcoming the cost and resources challenges or workers face, but also it will help attract and retain talent.”

Perhaps now is the time to prioritize levelling the playing field and start upskilling… equally. There is much ground to cover, but with the combined motivation and efforts of employer and employee, it can be achieved.

“I think durable skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills are universally must-have skills across the workforce,” Awwad continued. “And those graduating with technical skills still have work to do in terms of building muscle. In a world of rapid technological change and disruption, staying up to date is so very important. And it’s one key component of our mission.”