Twenty communities have joined a program launched by President Barack Obama to train people for technological jobs that employers have struggled to fill.
Ryan Burke, special assistant to the President for economic policy, wrote in a blog post published Friday on the White House website the TechHire program has grown to more than 70 communities that helped employ almost 4,000 people in the last two years.
“With nearly 600,000 open technology jobs across all industries and regions in the country today, we need to continue spreading these models to meet the demand,” said Burke.
The White House said TechHire looks to address employers’ need for technology talent with the use of emerging models to help train people with limited ingoing technology skills and prepare them for work within months.
Megan Smith, U.S. chief technology officer, said the expansion of TechHire to over 70 cities, states and rural areas as well as the growth of the TechHire Action Network can help capitalize on opportunities.
Employers, local governments, training programs and workforce development organizations in communities have also utilized strategies such as a broader opportunity circle, skill-based hiring and a “pay for success” training model.
New communities that joined TechHire include:
- Alachua and Bradford Counties, Florida
- Anchorage, Alabama
- Arizona
- Bellevue, Washington
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Carroll County, Maryland
- Central Florida
- El Paso County, Texas
- Howard County, Maryland
- Mobile, Alabama
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Pensacola, Florida
- Puerto Rico
- Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico
- Stamford, Connecticut
- Tampa Bay, Florida
- Toledo, Ohio
- Trenton City, New Jersey
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
