HTDC Selected to Join TechHire Program

Hawai’i was included in the next round of 15 new TechHire regions, as announced by the White House on Wednesday.

The High Technology Development Corporation, which works as an attached agency to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, was selected by President Barack Obama to participate in the program.

HTDC will lead a statewide employer coalition that will aim to hire 175 high-tech local workers by the end of 2017 and 400 by the end of 2018.

“We fully support the president’s TechHire program, which will enable our residents to access accelerated job training opportunities and compete for higher wage earning jobs,” said Gov. David Ige. “The president’s selection of Hawai‘i as a TechHire region is a step in the right direction and supports our 80/80 initiative to create 80,000 new technology jobs earning more than $80,000 annually by 2030.”

President Obama launched the TechHire initiative one year ago. The multi-sector initiative was created to empower Americans with the skills they need through universities, community colleges, and nontraditional approaches that offer tech training.

To kick off TechHire, 21 regions with more than 120,000 open technology jobs and more than 300 employer partners are announcing plans to work together to find new ways to recruit and place applicants based on their actual skills and to create more fast track tech training opportunities.

“HTDC is committed to matchmaking employers and high-potential candidates by working with stakeholders to develop innovative training programs such as ‘coding boot camps,’ virtual classrooms, and high-quality online courses to rapidly train workers for high-paying tech jobs,” said Robbie Melton, executive director and Chief Executive Officer at HTDC.

“TechHire is an invaluable program to the training and development of Hawai‘i’s technology workforce,” says Matthew Sasaki, director, Strategic Business initiatives at ‘ike, a partner in the TechHire Hawai’i Coalition. “Over the next few years, the industries that we are in will see increased demand for technology trained professionals. TechHire, in partnership with HTDC, is key to meeting this demand.”

Senator Brian Schatz, who is a member of the Senate’s subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, says he encouraged HTDC to participate in the TechHire Initiative.

“Our state’s unique business and cultural environment has made it an ideal setting for innovative tech companies to grow and succeed.  That’s why making sure Hawai‘i has a competitive high-tech workforce is important for our local economy,” said Senator Schatz. “This program will highlight Hawai‘i’s emerging tech sector, encourage innovation, and help more people develop the skills they need to fill good-paying tech jobs and advance their careers.”

“HTDC is delighted to have Hawai‘i recognized as a TechHire Hub. I’m especially grateful to Senator Schatz for his strong support of our efforts,” said Melton. “The designation signifies Hawai‘i’s commitment to developing a technology workforce through accelerated methods to meet the growing demand.  This is one step in moving Hawai‘i towards the goal of creating 80,000 new tech and innovation jobs earning $80,000 or more by 2030.”