Seattle now part of Obama program to train people for tech jobs

The city of Seattle is the latest member of President Obama’s TechHire program, a push to get more people working in tech jobs through college and nontraditional training programs.

Obama announced the program in 2015 with 20 communities. The cities work with universities, coding boot camps and other educational programs to train people for the many tech jobs available.

In Seattle, 3,200 open technology and engineering jobs popped up in just the past 30 days, said David Harris, startup advocate with the city. Half were for software developers. Local tech companies say they are constantly hungry to hire for such positions.

Seattle’s booming tech economy imports most of its technical talent, and coding programs have launched across the region to train people with little or no technical skills to fill the jobs.

Seattle will partner with businesses, training programs and other communities to both help people get jobs and help companies fill open positions, Harris said.

“We’re connecting the dots and building the community,” he said. “We’re getting people placed in tech jobs.”

With the TechHire designation, Seattle will get access to data and resources from the federal government to help fill the jobs and train residents. The city is not seeking federal funds for the program. It is dedicating staff time and resources to work with training programs and employers.“

The broader TechHire program includes grants for private businesses, as well as communities.