2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Advancing Workforce Readiness through Digital Equity and Technical Training: Evidence from an NTIA-Funded Program at an HBCU

The post-pandemic era underscored the growing demand for entry-level IT professionals and government funding for digital equity, making technical training at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) more crucial. Leveraging a systematic literature review on technical education and workforce readiness at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the evaluation assesses an initiative funded by a federal agency that aims to bridge the digital divide by providing underrepresented students with high-performance hardware and industry-standard technical education. The research employs a mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative and qualitative components across three cohorts from 2024 to 2025. Quantitatively, the study uses a pre/post-test design to assess changes in digital skills, career readiness, and economic outcomes. Qualitatively, focus groups and interviews, analyzed through Human Capital and Social Empowerment theories, explore participants’ perceptions of training value and the impact of overcoming structural barriers. Findings from the first cohort reveal a 100% certification rate, with graduates securing roles at diverse organizations. By aligning technical curricula with employer-validated certifications like CompTIA Tech+ and Google IT Support, this research provides empirical evidence of the effectiveness of inclusive training models. Ultimately, this study presents a scalable framework for future investments in workforce development across the HBCU landscape and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs).

Authors

GLORY OLUWANIFEMI ADEOGUN Morgan State University [biography]

Glory Adeogun is a Research Assistant with the Sustainability and Resilient Infrastructure Engineering program at Morgan State University. She supports applied research initiatives through literature review, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and preparation of technical documentation. Her academic interests include sustainability, data-driven decision-making, and development-oriented finance.
Julius Ogaga Etuke http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2710-2803 Morgan State University [biography]

Julius Ogaga Etuke is a seasoned civil engineer and Ph.D. Candidate in Civil Engineering at Morgan State University, where his research focuses on sustainable and resilient infrastructure engineering. With over 15 years of consulting and project leadership experience, primarily in Nigeria's infrastructure landscape, he brings a robust, practical perspective to academic inquiry. His doctoral research is at the cutting edge of transportation resilience, integrating virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), climate adaptation modeling, and data-driven solutions to improve disaster preparedness and risk mitigation in complex transportation systems. As a COREN-registered engineer and member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, his work emphasizes impactful research and consultancy that bridges structural design principles with urgent sustainability and resilience challenges.
Israel Oluwaseun Jimson http://orcid.org/https://0009-0007-0756-0448 Morgan State University
Dr. Olushola V. Emiola-Owolabi http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-8521-5769 Morgan State University [biography]

Olushola Emiola-Owolabi is an engineering pedagogy specialist, researching active learning in engineering classrooms and specializing in qualitative methods research on teaching and learning – particularly in remote synchronous learning environments.
Dr. Oludare Adegbola Owolabi P.E. Morgan State University [biography]

Dr. Oludare Owolabi, a professional engineer in Maryland, joined the Morgan State University faculty in 2010. He is the director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development, Smart Innovation and Resilient Engineering Research Lab, Department of Civil Engineering at Morgan State University
Dr. Uttam Gaulee http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3010-2812

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026