Mobile Designated TechHire Community

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Posted on December 19, 2016

Marketing and Communications

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The city of Mobile has earned an elite designation aimed at connecting its residents to well-paying, high-tech jobs, and the University of South Alabama played several integral roles in the highly competitive, year-long process.

Lynne Chronister, South鈥檚 vice president for research and economic development, told a crowd assembled last week for the formal announcement at Rural Sourcing Inc. (RSI) that Mobile鈥檚 designation as a TechHire Community spotlights the Port City nationally as a place where residents can 鈥渓ive, work, play and learn,鈥� all in one place.

鈥淭his designation is just the latest example to the world that we鈥檙e not only business friendly, but we鈥檙e tech savvy as well. 91短视频 is really proud to be part of this initiative as one of its partners,鈥� Chronister said.

In addition, she said, South took an active role in the competitive application process because it was an opportunity to engage the community the University serves.

鈥淢obile is South鈥檚 community, and we always want to be part of moving this community forward any way we can, but there鈥檚 so much more to it than that. The thing is, it benefits the University to have an educated workforce. As the community grows, so grows South,鈥� she said.

Mobile was one of only 20 communities awarded the designation in the program鈥檚 latest round, bringing the total number of TechHire Communities to 71.

鈥淭oday, Mobile stands with an elite group of major cities and states who have embraced the TechHire initiative to spotlight the 5 million job openings in information technology nationwide,鈥� Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said, adding, 鈥淢obile is joining the exciting national trend of attracting IT companies who are moving outside of Silicon Valley because of our quality of life, low cost of living and a workforce full of talent and potential. This designation will create new jobs, spur additional investment and economic activity, and help us to continue this momentum in Mobile.鈥�

Specifically, Mobile TechHire, through the University of South Alabama, programs such as Birmingham鈥檚 Depot/U, and Bishop State and Faulkner community colleges, will train some 500 candidates within the next four years. The industry-driven training will include:

• Customized capacity building for incumbent workers;
• A 10-week coding boot camp; and
• Advanced manufacturing technical training for entry-level jobseekers.

Monty Hamilton, RSI鈥檚 chief executive officer and a key architect of the partnerships responsible for Mobile鈥檚 TechHire designation along with the Gulf Coast Technology Council, called the announcement the 鈥渃ulmination of a lot of people鈥檚 hard work鈥� that shows the vision so many advocates have for the Port City and it鈥檚 possibilities.

鈥淲e made a big investment in this city, and I can tell you right now we haven鈥檛 regretted it one day in our life,鈥� said Hamilton, whose RSI is anchoring the ongoing revitalization of Mobile鈥檚 St. Louis Street into a high-tech corridor.

He also said he sees clear trends emerging that will produce in the 鈥渘ot-too-distant future鈥� three distinct workforce categories: those workers who use technology all day, every day to perform their jobs, whether it be writing code or building warships and airplanes; the people who have the ideas and the intelligence to build and market that technology; and 鈥渢hose folks who are either unemployed or underemployed because they haven鈥檛 embraced that technology.鈥�

TechHire, he said, opens new pathways to tech-centered employment for communities that have historically accepted trade-offs as a way of life, specifically trading quality of life for vocation.

鈥淚 firmly believe that Mobile is at that great precipice here of having a superb industrial base and now adding the technology. It makes this a great place to live and work and be,鈥� Hamilton said.

The Gulf Coast Technology Council鈥檚 Chris Morton said the TechHire designation in and of itself is impressive, but couple it with the city鈥檚 designation as a federal manufacturing community 鈥� of which there are only 24 鈥� and Mobile stands to emerge as a clear leader in the technology sector.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to lead not only our region, but the entire nation,鈥� Morton said, calling the very nature of technology 鈥減ervasive鈥� and far beyond the programming and coding shops of days past.

Meanwhile, Chronister singled out Kathy Thompson, director of South鈥檚 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program, for her tenacity in authoring the application with assistance from the Chamber.

鈥淚t was an enormous effort. Kathy was in frequent contact with the White House and really pulled it all together,鈥� she said, noting the sheer enormity of partners is staggering.

Indeed, the 17 employers committed to hiring Mobile TechHire trainees include the University of South Alabama Medical Center, AccuReg Software, AM/NS Calvert, CentraLite, City of Mobile MIT Department, Mobile County IT Department, Harper Technologies, Platypi, Prism Systems Inc, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce IT Department, Mobile Airport Authority, Mobile Infirmary Hospital, The Mighty Advertising Agency, RSI, The Red Square Agency and the SSI Group Inc.

Thompson called the application process 鈥渢remendously rigorous鈥� and reliant on the team鈥檚 ability to demonstrate the strength 鈥� and potential 鈥� of Mobile鈥檚 IT ecosystem. The city鈥檚 leadership, commitment of employers and spirit of regional cooperation all set Mobile apart.

More importantly, she said the program will ultimately expand the depth and breadth of employees working throughout the region. Specifically, Mobile TechHire graduates will be hired as computer analysts, software developers, network and computer analysts, computer programmers and computer-use specialists.

鈥淎t the end of the day, what really counts is that we can produce well-trained tech employees and support the tech companies who want to hire them,鈥� she said.

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