Industry Led . Visionary . Risk Taking . Collective Action

Video: Ignite IT is a powerful collaboration between the Akron Urban League and ConxusNEO that helps groom candidates for a career in IT.

Video: A Business Case for Diverstiy

Technology has revolutionized every industry and the growing demand for skilled tech talent is inevitable.

Will northeast Ohio remain competitive because we have the talent to fuel innovation and growth or will we be average?

We have a choice to make. If we choose to do the same thing, we’ll be left behind.

If we choose to be bold and challenge our own thinking and behaviors, we can be extraordinary.

Get Involved: Won’t you join other companies, education/training providers, economic development officers, workforce and community leaders who have chosen extraordinary? Click here to contact Sue Lacy

Key Strategies

Generate More Interest in Tech Careers

Can you imagine bringing hundreds of school teachers and counselors from around the county together to learn from computer programmers, data scientists, support specialists and cybersecurity analysts?

Think how transformative it could be if adult learners were able to explore new and exciting career opportunities in tech. Get involved with connecting IT professionals with this future workforce.

Skill Up

About half of open tech positions in our community require more than 3 years of experience.

How might we increase the number of accelerated training and certificate programs?
Can we encourage friends and family with tech experience to come back home?
How can we be creative in our problem-solving to generate more mid-skill talent to grow our tech sector?

Read about how mid-tech could be an important part of our strategy

Increase Access

Akron, particularly its black population, has not had adequate access to economic opportunity, which represents a major threat to growth and competitiveness. In the long run, “inclusion may provide the key to economic success,” according to a March 2018 report issued by Brookings. Join us as we engage communities of color to provide information about tech careers and access to training, education, and financial aid.