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Pensacola has been announced as one of 20 new White House TechHire communities, dedicated to creating pathways for more Americans to access well-paying tech jobs. Pensacola, under the leadership of Pensacola State College, joins a national network of 71 TechHire communities in receiving support to spearhead efforts to help overlooked and underrepresented Americans start technology careers.
“We are very pleased to welcome Pensacola to the White House TechHire Community Initiative,” said Tess Posner, managing Director of TechHire at Opportunity@Work. “Pensacola has demonstrated a true commitment to making opportunities in tech more inclusive in your community, and we at Opportunity@Work look forward to working with you to help implement, grow, and amplify your efforts.”
PSC President Edward Meadows says advanced technology programs are a stronghold of the college.
“We at Pensacola State are proud of our many technology programs that prepare students for exciting, productive careers,” President Meadows said. “We look forward to working with these business and industry partners to provide a highly skilled and educated workforce for Northwest Florida.”
Pensacola State College will work with Innovation Coast, Inc., as well as employer partners – Global Business Solutions, Inc., Technical Software Services, Inc., Gulf Power Company, AppRiver, and the Institute of Human & Machine Cognition, to train and place 200 technology workers by 2020. With a focus on veterans, minorities, and economically disadvantaged individuals in the Pensacola area, students can gain skills across IT fields, including cybersecurity, coding, and networking. In addition to training, this initiative includes opportunities to make connections with potential employers and reduce unemployment.
Pensacola’s designation as a TechHire Community was made possible due to the efforts of the City of Pensacola, Innovation Coast, Inc., and Pensacola State College. All TechHire communities go through an intensive and competitive application process to demonstrate their level of commitment and readiness in expanding the technology sector. The TechHire designation shows that Pensacola has the partners, employers, training providers, and the civil leadership support needed to implement and scale tech job opportunities for everyone.
The other 19 communities that will join the National TechHire Initiative in today’s (Dec. 2, 2016) announcement include:
• Alachua and Bradford Counties, FL
• Anchorage, AK
• Arizona
• Carroll County, MD
• Central Florida
• El Paso county, TX
• Bellevue, WA
• Boston, MA
• Howard County, MD
• Mobile, AL
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Pensacola, FL
• Puerto Rico
• Santa Fe, NM
• Stamford, CT
• Tampa Bay Metro Region, FL
• Toledo, OH
• Trenton City, NJ
• Tulsa, OK
To learn more or join the TechHire Initiative, visit www.techhire.org.
ABOUT TECHHIRE
TechHire, an initiative powered by Opportunity@Work, is a nationwide, community-based movement that helps underrepresented job seekers start careers in the technology industry. TechHire partners with education providers from across the tech community to teach in-demand skills to people who want to take part in the modern economy—from overlooked youth, to veterans, to the long-term unemployed; and helps them find jobs by connecting them to a network of employers looking for tech talent. To learn more, visit www.techhire.org.
ABOUT OPPORTUNITY@WORK
Opportunity@Work is a nonprofit social enterprise with a mission to expand access to career opportunities so that all Americans can work, learn, and earn to their full potential in a dynamic economy. By 2025, Opportunity@Work will empower over 1 million Americans, creating $20 billion+ per year of additional earnings for Americans across the country. Opportunity@Work expands access to career opportunities for all by building partnerships with employers, community organizations, civic leadership and job seekers to transform hiring practices, expand learning pathways, and pioneer talent financing. To learn more, visit www.opportunityatwork.org.