White House Launches Program To Fill Tech Jobs
WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Filling high-paying jobs in high tech. Right now, there are more openings than applicants.
Alex DeMetrick reports the White House is launching a program to fill those jobs.
High tech and low numbers of people skilled enough to work in it. In Maryland, federal agencies employ 9,000 tech workers.
"We have half a million jobs open in the technology sector that are going unfilled in our country," said Meghan Smith, White House Technology Chief. "Many here in Baltimore. I think the number is 20,000."
"And we know we have thousands of talented people that just need the training to take advantage of that," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
So Baltimore tech companies and educators learned the city is joining the competition for White House tech hire grants. One hundred million dollars are up for grabs, $50 million of it specifically for 17 to 29-year-olds lacking tech training. Nationwide, 30 to 40 businesses and schools with the best training plans will be selected.
"It's so important for our youth to really see a pathway and see what's possible for them in their future," said Jennifer Bodensiek, Junior Achievement of Central Maryland.
"It definitely was never anything I thought of being a career path," said Jayana Johnson.
But then Johnson did a 22-week high tech boot camp in New York and changed her life.
"It's pretty much been a 180," she said.
Younger students are being exposed earlier to tech projects. The grants are for work-age people who missed high tech head starts.
The pay off for the tech hire program is quite literally a payoff.
"I've been making more money than I've possibly made in my entire life and I just want to be able to do something I love, something I know is contributing to my future," Johnson said.
The competition for the grant money has also been extended to programs offering technical training to former prison inmates.