having a pipeline of tech talent can be an important factor in bringing new jobs to local economies, facilitating business growth, and lifting more local residents into the middle class. the techhire program and the associated grants will enable Oklahoma City and communities like OKC to expand their tech sectors.

tech jobs are a pathway to the middle class. tech jobs pay one and a half times the average wage of a private-sector job. studies have shown that these opportunities are also accessible to those without college degrees — men and women with non-degree certificates in computer or information services earned more than 65 percent of men and women, respectively, with more traditional associate degrees.

at oseberg, we proudly embrace applicants with all kinds of experience and training. we are not wedded to developers with computer science degrees. rather, we relish the mix of perspectives and ideas our diverse experiences can bring to the table.

today, there are over 600,000 open it jobs across all sectors — more than two-thirds in fields outside the tech sector, such as manufacturing, financial services and healthcare. across the country, employers are struggling to find skilled talent for these positions. a study from ceb found that in 10 major metropolitan areas (including new york, atlanta, seattle, and houston), there are only five skilled job seekers available for every eight open it jobs. compared to 2010, it now takes employers five additional weeks to fill the average vacancy—at a cost to employers of $8.6 million per 1,000 vacancies.

new innovations in training and hiring can help meet the tech job demand. nearly 40 percent of tech jobs do not require a four-year degree. in recent years, there has been a proliferation of fast-track tech training programs like “coding bootcamps” that prepare people with little technical know-how for tech jobs, often in just a few months. a recent survey from course report found that bootcamp graduates saw salary gains of 38 percent (or about $18,000) after completing their programs. at the same time, employers in cities like albuquerque have been adopting new “skills-based” hiring approaches that enable job seekers to demonstrate their skills to get hired even if they lack traditional qualifications like computer science degrees.

tech talent can be an important driver of local economic development. companies report that one of the main factors in deciding where to locate is the availability of skilled talent. moreover, research from economist enrico moretti shows that for each job in the average high-tech firm, five new jobs are indirectly created in local economies.