Omaha, Neb. (December 1st, 2016) – Omaha has been announced as one of 20 TechHire communities dedicated to creating pathways for more Americans to access well-paying tech jobs and expanding local tech sectors in communities across the country. Omaha will be joining 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 Omaha to the TechHire Initiative,” said Tess Posner, Managing Director of TechHire at Opportunity@Work, “Omaha 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.”
“Omaha is an excellent addition to the TechHire initiative. We have a strong business community to provide opportunities in tech careers including a growing, successful tech startup community,” said Mayor Jean Stothert. “My administration supports job and business growth through public-private partnerships, youth education programs, economic inclusion and financial support for community programs that enhance job training and employment. TechHire will be another resource to increase recruiting and training in this important career field.”
Omaha’s designation as a national TechHire Community was made possible due to the collaborative efforts of AIM Institute, Interface Web School, Omaha Code School and the Greater Omaha Chamber.
“For a quarter of a century, building thriving communities and changing lives through technology has been a passion of AIM,” said Dr. Kandace Miller, president and CEO of AIM Institute. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with more organizations to grow, connect and inspire tech talent even more through the national TechHire movement.”
“I have had the privilege of meeting so many ambitious, talented individuals who want to pursue careers in technology,” said Shonna Dorsey, managing director and co-founder of Interface Web School. “With the synergy of the organizations involved within the TechHire community, people in the Greater Omaha area will have expanded opportunities to start tech careers.”
“Greater Omaha’s tech sector is experiencing unprecedented expansion, and we are driving hard to cultivate the necessary tech talent to increase our IT workforce by 4,000 workers,” said David G. Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “Ten Greater Omaha area employers have already joined us in our TechHire initiative, but we’re looking for more to help accelerate our tech talent efforts, strengthen our local economy and build up our region’s Silicon Prairie.”
All TechHire communities go through an intensive and competitive application process to demonstrate their level of commitment and readiness in expanding the technology sector. This TechHire designation shows that Omaha 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 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.