We’ve all heard of the term blue or white-collar workers, but have you heard of the new-collar worker? In the past two years, people used the time spent while in lockdown to learn new skills that are not necessarily in their field of work. This shed light on a collar classification that didn’t even need a colour, and was dubbed, ‘new-collar’.

 What is a new-collar worker?

The term ‘new-collar’ has been around since 2016. It refers to a worker who has developed technical skills and knowledge to break into the technology industry. ‘New-collar’ workers don’t have a traditional educational background in tech but have acquired their skills through short courses and learning platforms such as LinkedIn Learning, Pluralsight, and Coursera. These courses have been made accessible online in recent years. People have also taken advantage of Youtube tutorials to further improve their skills for free.

Technology is now integrated into nearly every industry, and the emergence of these talented individuals is slowly bridging the gap for the much-needed workforce of the fast-growing world of tech. Many people who had low-paying jobs made the switch to becoming self-taught developers and landed jobs with better income and work conditions. Tech giants Apple, IBM, and Google have dropped formal education requirements to draw in this new generation of workers, focusing on their skills and experiences rather than their degrees. Many others are following in their footsteps to fill their manpower needs. Some have even tailored their job postings to accommodate new-collar workers and encourage them to apply. 

As the world of tech continues to quickly evolve, there comes a need to keep up with the skills required for the new jobs added each year which formal education may not be as quick to add to their curriculums. New-collar workers have used the character and resilience they’ve built through the previous jobs they once had to strive to be a part of the tech industry. Are you prepared to take in new-collar workers? Leave your comments below. If you’re looking for new opportunities in tech, FIRESOFT People can help you land your dream job. Click on the link here to check our current live jobs.