Utah tech leaders unite on Capitol Hill to advance workforce initiatives

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.