Next Gen IT Industry Partnership

For the last two years, something remarkable has been happening in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Across the country, many businesses are struggling to hire the talent that will drive their organizations forward, especially IT talent. Central Pennsyvlania is no exception. Furthermore, entrepreneurs and those with business ideas have a hard time connecting to the resources they need to grow and scale (funding, mentorship, talent).

On April 26, 2019, the largest IT employers in Central PA, along with the Workforce Improvement Board (SCPa Works) and the Department for Community and Economic Development (DCED) gathered about 70 community leaders for an ideation session about the issues facing the IT industry locally.

The model for this gathering is the Next Gen Sector Partnership — https://www.nextgensectorpartnerships.com/aboutnextgenerationpartnerships/. Public-private partnerships have been around for a long time, but in many ecosystems, people and businesses continue to be siloed as they struggle with common issues. In a Next Gen partnership, the conversation is driven by industry needs and business champions, who share primary information with the public sector and community organizations. This results in more rapid, real-time insight and coordinated activities, even under separate missions and charters.

For Central PA’s group, the leaders identified Talent Supply & Diversity, Marketing, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship as the three priority areas that would have the greater impact.

I’ll be honest with you, two years of conversation has felt like a long time. I want things to happen now, or yesterday, especially when it pertains to workforce development, economic development, and opportunity for Pennsylvanians. But I will also say that things take time to grow. When you plant seeds, the garden doesn’t immediately burst into bloom.

Today, we hosted a full-group update, with presentations from Jesse McCree, at SCPa Works about workforce trends and data. The Committees hosted a robust conversation about getting more involved with educational institutions. Professionals from the IT industry are working alongside technical schools, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, and traditional higher education to better train local talent. Along with the Tech Council of Central PA, the Innovation group is holding Central PA Innovate! https://www.tccp.org/techshowcase/ which will bring large employers to the region in a focus on startups here.

We are better if we work together. The Next Gen IT Partnership gives a forum for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and community partners to come together to tackle the challenges that face us today — and to prepare for those that are yet to come.

Please consider joining us. I can connect you.