The Nashville Tech Story (July 9, 2009)
T3 was started in January of 2008; however, the actual work did not begin until the end of May 2008. Over 600 students and unemployed workers were touched by T3 over the last year through events and programs we produced. At every opportunity the topic of available jobs, what the technology industry in Nashville is like, and why they should choose Nashville over other cities was addressed. Over the past year the following has been accomplished:
- Three Solution Teams, Communicate, Collaborate, & Connect, were created to plan for and implement the strategies prioritized by the charter signing participants. Over 80 academic and Business Leaders participate on a solution team.
- The T3 Fund was established to raise money to support at least the first year expenses associated with the various events initiated by the Solution Teams. The goal of $20,000 was met.
- A quarterly newsletter was launched in September to keep all T3 members and interested parties informed about our activities.
- Staff conducted a survey of its membership to produce metrics and gather information that will assist in the T3 effort to match business needs with academic objectives.
- T3 and InternNashville hosted an event (November 11) to educate the public on T3 and on the new Nashville Chamber of Commerce’s program, which is intended to engage local college students and connect them to the business community via internships. 60 academic and business leaders attended.
- 2 Job Readiness Seminars have been conducted (Austin Peay/Trevecca). These are run by Business Leaders and were attended by over 70 technology students.
- 6 Guest Speaking Engagements (MTSU (2 events)/Lipscomb/Belmont/Nashville State (2 events)) have been held reaching over 150 technology students.
- 1 InternNashville Technology Networking Event was held (Nashville State) which helped students connect with Business leaders in an informal networking event. Over 75 technology students attended.
- A Student Congress was launched with 20 inaugural members from Austin Peay, Belmont, Lipscomb, Tennessee State, MTSU, Nashville State, and ITT Tech. They had their first meeting in the spring and will have meetings going forward.
- Two students were able to speak in front of the Nashville Technology Council Board of Directors at their last meeting in June.
- Staff and participants have attended 15 academic career fairs over the last year meeting over 300 technology students and unemployed workers. (Belmont, Cumberland, Nashville State (F & S), Vol State (F & S), Tennessee Tech (F & S),MTSU (S), Lipscomb (F), College to Career Fair, ITT Tech (F & S), Vanderbilt (F), Murray State (S)
- T3tech.org was launched in March as a way to communicate information to all stake holders of the initiative.
- An event, TechNet, was held to assist unemployed technology workers find jobs here locally so we did not lose technology talent to other cities. Over 80 unemployed technology workers attended.
- Staff supported 2 Middle Tennessee academic institutions in their endeavors to receive grants from the National Science Foundation for technology education. (Belmont and MTSU)
- Staff helped to create partnerships between MTSU professors and businesses for ProjectMT.
- T3 Solution Team members have created content for the Career Path Application, go live date in August, that will help High School, College, and other industry workers learn what a career path in technology looks like, what types of jobs are available in technology, what colleges provide degree programs, what certifications they need, FAQ about technology careers in general and in Middle Tennessee, as well as companies that have job opportunities in this area.
- Marketing Material has been produced and distributed to technology students which addresses why students should choose Middle Tennessee to work.
- T3 held a focus group meeting for Nashville Career Advancement Center where the top IT employers in Nashville talked about what the hot IT jobs are going to be and what certifications potential employees need. This information is going to help NCAC train unemployed or underemployed workers for technology jobs in Middle Tennessee.
Many other programs are being planned for the 2009-2010 year that we feel will continue to allow us to strengthen the relationships between academic and business leaders, create connections with students, and promote Nashville and Middle Tennessee as a great place to live, work, and play for technology workers. If you are interested in getting involved in this initiative please contact scarter@technologycouncil.com or visit the T3 website @ www.t3tech.org
