TechHire was launched to provide more U.S. workers in the growing technology field. More
than 300 employers and local governments from 21 regions across the country
have committed to the initiative, announced by President Obama at the National
League of Cities.
The Obama administration pledged $100 million in
competitive grants to fund joint initiatives to target workers who may not have
access to tech training. The money for the grants will come from fees companies
already pay to hire skilled foreign workers under the H-1B visa program.
“We’ve got to keep positioning ourselves for a
constantly changing global economy,” Obama said during the announcement of the initiative. “If we’re not producing enough tech workers, over time
that’s going to threaten our leadership in global innovation, which is the
bread and butter of the 21st-century economy.”
Business leaders are also committed to offer free
online training to prepare workers for higher-paying technology positions, such
as software development, network administration, and cybersecurity. The
communities involved are working on ways to use data-driven assessments of
employer workforce demands; recruit and expand accelerated tech-learning
programs such as coding bootcamps and online training; and find ways to connect
people with the jobs.
“The world’s technology needs are just moving a lot
faster than traditional education solutions. That’s the fundamental problem
here,” said Greg Fischer, mayor of Louisville, KY. “So that’s why these nonconventional
methods are needed right now.”
