In the Arizona Technology Council’s August 2021 episode of AZTechCast, distinguished business leaders from Raytheon Missiles & Defense, the University of Arizona College of Engineering and the U.S. Air Force Academy joined Council President and CEO, Steve Zylstra, to discuss the importance of hypersonics research in Arizona.
From its inception, the Arizona Commerce Authority has been guided by some of the best minds in private industry, the legislature and state universities. This unique collaboration has been one of the chief strengths of the ACA, and the work of the last 10 years would not be possible without the time, leadership and dedication of many individuals.
The boost in Phoenix job postings was among the largest in the country, both in terms of percent gained and of sheer volume. This glut of tech job openings is part of the larger recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, which killed hundreds of thousands in the United States, put many people out of work and inspired others to seek new careers.
According to the new 2021 Scoring Tech Talent report from CBRE, Greater Phoenix is now ranked as the 17th best market for tech talent in North America, up one spot from its rank last year. The report also found that Phoenix has the 14th largest tech talent pool nationally with just over 98,000 tech workers, a labor force that’s grown 14.2% from 2015.
This semester’s projects included a PC rhythm game, a goal-setting app, a customizable 3D garment interface, a digital course for content creators, an alternative login solution based on steganography, a discord bot for reporting cheaters, a stealth game that flips the traditional role of lighting to offer new perspectives, a secure flash drive that uses your phone for authentication, a physical server protector, a multi-player AR game, a reading log book light for kids, and more.
Over the last 12 months, many companies have allowed employees to work from home and work remotely. Some have even done a complete 180 hiring out-of-state team members for the first time. For many employers, COVID-19 forced flexibility on a previously closed mindset. According to Enterprise Technology Research, the percentage of employees permanently working from home is expected to double in 2021.
QS World University Rankings has released its list of more than 300 of the top universities in the United States, with Arizona State University moving up nearly 30 spots to No. 62 from last year’s position at No. 91. ASU also ranked No. 1 in the state, ahead of both Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona.
The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation is excited to launch its Summer Virtual Cybersecurity and IT Externship Rotation. This is a structured two-week program containing a cohort of participants from across Arizona, including high school, community college, university students and veterans who will rotate through industry experiences provided by multiple and diverse businesses.
As part of an $8 million ASU-led U.S. Department of Labor grant, Arizona Technology Council joins a collaborative of community partners to establish the Arizona Workforce Training Accelerator Partnership for Next Generation Jobs (AZNext). The partnership will enhance regional competitiveness, address workforce shortages and train workers for high-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and IT.
Help support the STEM workforce of tomorrow: Take advantage of the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit and make a donation to Science For All, a program of SciTech Institute—the foundation of the Arizona Technology Council—which provides disadvantaged youth with employer-education partnerships where they gain first-hand knowledge and workforce experience.