SAN DIEGO (28 September, 2021) – Seismic, the global leader in enablement, in partnership with SV Academy, the top provider of sales and customer success training and employment for high-potential diverse jobseekers, and the Sales Enablement Society, the largest global nonprofit organisation for sales enablement professionals, announced today the launch of the Enableship programme. Enableship offers training, coaching, mentorship and a community network for the placement of historically underrepresented candidates into entry-level enablement positions. Seismic, SV Academy, Sales Enablement Society and partner companies across various industries aim to create an inclusive enablement community and expand wages by democratising opportunity for job-seekers of all backgrounds.
Over the past few years, the role of enablement has expanded to encompass not only sales reps but also anyone who interacts with buyers and customers. This expansion has fuelled explosive demand for enablement professionals. Recent data from the LinkedIn State of Sales 2021 report indicates that sales enablement roles have increased by 200% in the past two years, 18 times faster than sales organisations as a whole. However, diversity remains an issue in the industry with Black and Latinx candidates filling less than 10% of available roles, according to estimates by Seismic.
The goal of the Enableship programme is to make entry-level enablement roles more accessible for candidates of diverse backgrounds and achieve a wage expansion of $22 million over three years. Since 2017, SV Academy’s entry-level career tracks in sales and customer success have more than doubled the wages of underrepresented candidates upon graduation, with 60% of individuals receiving promotions in the first year.
“As the global leader in enablement, we have a responsibility to expand the pipeline of candidates for this rapidly-growing industry, with diversity and inclusiveness at the centre of our efforts. Partnering with SV Academy is the first step in this ongoing initiative,” said Doug Winter, CEO and co-founder, Seismic. “I’m thankful to the Sales Enablement Society, as well as the Seismic customers and partners that have pledged their support to this important programme by offering apprenticeships and mentor guidance. We look forward to more partners joining us in this important hiring and career initiative. Together, we can make the enablement industry more equitable and inclusive.”
The Enableship programme includes training that maps to the competencies needed for an entry-level enablement role. The programme will be offered as a specialisation to SV Academy learners as part of 300 hours of rigorous technical skills and leadership training. Graduates will have the opportunity to apply for paid apprenticeships and full-time roles with employer partners. Support continues with 12 months of coaching for associates and their managers after placement.
“At SV Academy, we’re passionate about helping employers hire and develop people of all backgrounds as they launch their careers in the tech industry,” said Rahim Fazal, co-founder and CEO at SV Academy. “There are many barriers to entry for diverse jobseekers, including practical work experience, technical training, mentorship and employer connections. I’m excited for Enableship to break down these barriers while filling in-demand roles in sales enablement with the support of industry leaders like Seismic and the Sales Enablement Society.”
The launch of Enableship coincides with the Sales Enablement Society’s annual conference, Experience 2021. The Sales Enablement Society (SES), the largest and most active industry organisation focused on elevating the role of sales enablement in organisations worldwide, is a founding industry partner of Enableship.
“The enablement space is booming, and yet it is disproportionately white compared to the U.S. population,” said Donna DeBerry, Seismic Vice President, Global Inclusion. “With SV Academy, the community from Sales Enablement Society and our hiring partners, Seismic is not only helping fill the tens of thousands of open enablement roles but also taking action to close the wealth and education gap.”
Read more about Seismic’s goals for Enableship on the Seismic Blog. SES Experience 2021 attendees can also learn more about Enableship on the main stage at 2:00 pm EST on Tuesday, 28 September, 2021. To become a hiring partner or become involved with Enableship mentorship or guest speaking, please visit Seismic’s website for more information. To apply to participate in the programme, visit SV Academy’s website.
About Seismic
Seismic is the global leader in enablement, helping make sales teams better by becoming more productive and engaging with buyers in a compelling way. Seismic’s platform provides continuous guidance to improve behaviour, content and skills to win more deals and deliver better experiences. Nearly 2,000 organisations including IBM and American Express have made Seismic their enablement platform of choice. Seismic integrates with business-critical platforms including Microsoft, Salesforce, Google and Adobe. Seismic is headquartered in San Diego, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.
To learn more, visit Seismic.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
About SV Academy
SV Academy is the non-coding way to make it in America. Founded in 2017, SV Academy supports 400+ SaaS employers with a highly-connected community of rigorously trained and high-performing Sales and Customer Success talent from underrepresented backgrounds. The company’s platform provides skill-building, mentorship, job placement assistance and post-hire support, such as alumni networking events and coaching, with 60% of its graduates promoted in the first year. SV Academy was named the #2 Most Innovative Education Programme by Fast Company and is backed by OWL Ventures, Uprising, Bloomberg Beta, Kapor Capital, ReThink Education, as well as Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures. To learn more, visit sv.academy.
About Sales Enablement Society
Sales Enablement Society (SES) is the largest global nonprofit organisation for sales enablement professionals, whose mission is to elevate the role of sales enablement as a strategic function within an organisation to enhance sales productivity and drive growth. The SES is focused on elevating the role of sales enablement in organisations worldwide through engagement, communication, research and development. Founded in 2016 with five founding members, SES is now represented by over 10,000 professionals across 61 countries and 29 chapters, representing all areas of the sales enablement community, from practitioners and suppliers to industry experts and academics. SES is also the industry’s most active network of sales enablement professionals with a LinkedIn community of nearly 19,000 members. To learn more and join the community, visit www.sesociety.org.