80% ramp time reduction
for new employees
A Fortune 100 financial institution partnered with Tech Elevator and Galvanize to reskill and upskill employees into software engineering roles, driving workforce modernization and advancing diversity in technical talent across the enterprise.
Key Outcomes
65% lift in technical skills
measured before and after training
Context
Reskilling the Workforce to Meet Growing Demand for Technical Talent
A leading global financial institution faced the same challenge many large enterprises encounter: increasing demand for technical talent amid a competitive labor market. External hiring alone couldn’t keep pace with growth in software engineering and digital initiatives.
The company needed a sustainable solution to develop internal talent, increase diversity in tech roles, and retain institutional knowledge. Leadership partnered with Tech Elevator and Galvanize to build a long-term, scalable reskilling initiative to support digital transformation goals while investing in their workforce.
Our Approach
Collaborate
The company and Tech Elevator established a close partnership beginning in 2016, aligning on hiring goals, skill targets, and learner support. Cohorts were designed in collaboration with the company’s talent acquisition and engineering teams, ensuring programs mapped directly to enterprise technology needs and role requirements.
Translate
The partnership integrated the company’s hiring and vetting process with Tech Elevator’s proprietary Aptitude Test and structured Prework, ensuring candidate readiness before Day 1. The curriculum was customized to match the organization’s internal engineering environment, emphasizing programming fundamentals, Java, and Agile practices.
Innovate
Delivery evolved from in-person to hybrid and fully virtual formats, expanding globally to the U.S., U.K., and Argentina. Programs included intensive technical instruction, hands-on labs, and capstone projects aligned to real-world development work. Over time, cohorts diversified to include Tech Connect, Reskilling, and other pathways.
Validate
Consistent performance tracking was built into every stage of the program:
- Aptitude test scores and prework completion to ensure readiness
- Checkpoint assessments to track academic standing
- Delivery evolved from in-person to hybrid and fully virtual formats, expanding globally to the U.S., U.K., and Argentina. Programs included intensive technical instruction, hands-on labs, and capstone projects aligned to real-world development work. Over time, cohorts diversified to include Tech Connect, Reskilling, and other pathways. Completion rates and job placement metrics to measure impact
A 99.5% completion rate over hundreds of participants reflects the program’s strong alignment with business needs and candidate readiness.
Impact
This long-term partnership has significantly strengthened the organization’s internal engineering capacity and talent diversity.
- 750+ graduates since 2016
- 223+ individuals from underrepresented backgrounds now in technical roles
- Representation across 3 countries, 42 U.S. markets, and 24 unique job titles
- 308 years of institutional knowledge retained by reskilling internal employees
The organization now has a proven, sustainable model to fill critical software engineering roles with trusted, trained internal talent.
Lessons Learned
- Readiness matters. The Aptitude Test and Prework drive strong completion and success rates.
- Flexible delivery models expand reach while maintaining quality.
- Customized learning tied to role requirements ensures immediate workforce impact.
Client Voice
Let’s Collaborate
At Galvanize, we believe progress happens through partnership. We work side-by-side with our clients to turn strategy into action and learning into performance.