Nava’s apprenticeship program is a full-time, four-month program beginning in January 2021. We’ll provide on-the-job training, salary, and a clear path towards full-time employment. We’re accepting applications on a rolling basis, closing on November 23, 2020.
One of Nava’s values is “inclusion is essential.” In order for us to build digital services that are simple, effective, and accessible to everyone in the U.S., our teams must reflect the diverse communities we serve.
In an effort to be intentional about our own growth and continue building an inclusive team, we are proud to announce our 2021 apprenticeship program. This year, we’re recruiting people who are starting their careers or transitioning to new careers, in software engineering or frontend design.
The apprenticeship is a full-time, four-month program beginning in January 2021. Unlike an internship, the program provides on-the-job training, salary, and a clear path towards full-time employment. Apprentices will be paired with mentors on projects that improve the country’s health care systems and data, ultimately impacting the lives of millions.
Apply to the frontend design or engineering apprenticeship program today. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until November 23, 2020.
Nava’s offices remain closed due to COVID-19, so it’s important to us that apprentices receive dedicated mentorship and the opportunity to learn in a supportive, remote environment.
Read about how Alsia Plybeah, a software engineer who started at Nava as an apprentice, is making it easier for people to apply for Paid Family and Medical Leave in Massachusetts.
Nava started the program and welcomed our first apprenticeship cohort last year because we saw that hiring mechanisms in government make it difficult to recruit and retain technologists, particularly those just starting their careers or transitioning to new careers. The result is an industry that repeatedly closes its doors to people who want in — people with diverse viewpoints and life experiences who care deeply about making government work for everyone.
Companies that are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion must also be committed to changing the environmental factors that make it difficult for people from underrepresented backgrounds to succeed. Studies show that recruiting people from underrepresented backgrounds at the start of their careers and providing mentorship are two of the highest-impact levers for increasing diversity across an organization. As a small company, it can be difficult to balance fast-paced growth with programs like this, but it is essential if we want to grow and change the status quo.
We are inspired by other organizations that have made immense strides in this area. New America launched the Apprenticeship Forward Collaborative to expand American apprenticeships in 2017. Coding It Forward built the Civic Digital Fellowship as a pipeline for college students to enter into public service in 2017 as well. Code for America launched their own apprenticeship program to equalize access to opportunities in tech in 2018. These programs are fantastic blueprints and demonstrate the hunger for opportunities to enter into the public interest technology space.
Join us
For Nava, a public benefit corporation building technology that serves millions of Americans, inclusion cannot be elective, and we plan on holding ourselves accountable for practicing it. We’re looking forward to sharing the successes and lessons learned along the way and hope to learn from others who have started similar programs.
Please check out our careers page if you are interested in applying — applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and close November 23, 2020 — or reach out in the comments if you have personal experiences to share about apprenticeship programs!
