SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 30, 2017)— Less than a week after Gov. Herbert announced Talent Ready Utah in his State of the State address, Utah tech leaders joined legislators for Tech Day on the Hill to show their support for collaboration between industry, government and education. Today the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), the Women Tech Council and Silicon Slopes announced a partnership to unite technology workforce development efforts.
“Utah’s tech industry has pressing workforce challenges that need to be addressed,” said Val Hale, executive director of GOED. “Formal partnerships with Women Tech Council and Silicon Slopes are an investment in the tech industry’s sustainable growth. We are grateful for their support and for our industry partners statewide.”
The three partners will continue to combine forces to find solutions that ensure Utah’s tech industry enjoys lasting success. GOED will partner with Silicon Slopes to form the Governor’s Tech Cooperative, directly engaging Gov. Herbert and other key stakeholders in discussion, promotion and action around technology workforce needs.
“Silicon Slopes exists to empower Utah’s tech community to learn, connect and serve,” said Clint Betts, executive director of Silicon Slopes. “We believe entrepreneurship is about giving as many chances as you take. We’re excited to continue working with GOED and Women Tech Council to grow Utah’s tech talent base and give every member of our community a chance to have their voices heard on Capitol Hill.”
Additionally, Women Tech Council will help lead Talent Ready Utah initiatives by leveraging and building sustainable programs that increase student STEM activation, technology career development, and attract and retain C-level and board-level female talent to Utah. The Women Tech Council has a history of providing successful programming to help drive these strategies across the state including SheTech, Women Innovators series, Women in Tech Corp Talent Development Forum, Women Tech Awards and the TechArt Hour of Code. This new partnership with GOED will continue to support and amplify Women Tech Council’s successful programs and meet the objectives of Talent Ready Utah.
“Economic growth in Utah and beyond requires successful programs that build the technology talent pool, create a more inclusive tech community and help make our workforce ready for the increasing number of technology jobs,” said Cydni Tetro, president of the Women Tech Council. “This partnership will enable these and other important programs to broaden and expand their impact, and help support a sustainable technology ecosystem to grow the industry, state and economy.”
The Utah STEM Action Center, Women Tech Council, Silicon Slopes and GOED hosted Tech Day on the Hill. Legislators, students and industry leaders participated in hands-on exhibits from 15 companies including Ancestry, Domo, Adobe, Pluralsight, IMFlash, eBay and Vivint Smart Home. The event highlighted the importance of industry-led involvement in Utah’s schools, including an upcoming computer science pathways initiative led by the STEM Action Center and Utah tech companies. The STEM Action Center continues to leverage several partnerships to increase the K-12 pipeline and contribute to tech workforce development.
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About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
business.utah.gov
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) charter is based on Gov. Gary R. Herbert’s commitment to statewide economic development. The state’s economic vision is that Utah will lead the nation as the best performing economy and be recognized as a premier global business environment and tourist destination. GOED provides extensive resources and support for business creation, growth and recruitment statewide, as well as programs to increase tourism and film production for the benefit of Utah residents. All administered programs are based upon strategic industry clusters to develop a diverse, sustainable economy. GOED accomplishes its mission through unprecedented partnerships. For more information please contact: Aimee Edwards, (801) 538-8811 or edwards@utah.gov.
About Silicon Slopes
Silicon Slopes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to empower Utah’s tech community to learn, connect, and serve. For more details visit SiliconSlopes.com.
About Women Tech Council
Founded in 2007, The Women Tech Council (WTC) is Utah’s most visible trade organization focused on the economic impact of women in driving high growth for Utah’s technology sector. WTC offers mentoring, visibility, opportunities and networking to more than 10,000 women and men working in technology to create business environments focused on high performance, not diversity, where men and women can succeed. This propels individual careers and Utah’s talent pipeline by ensuring a strong, diverse, and entrepreneurial technology workforce. For more information on Women Tech Council, please contact Abby Shaha, (801) 809-0313 or ashaha@intrepidagency.com.