FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funds to purchase technology resources to enhance STEM outreach, awareness, and education.

Chicago, Ill– October 26, 2012 – CompTIA, through its national TechVoice partnership program with state-based technology associations, awarded a $5,000 grant to Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s Information Technology and Bioscience industry association. The grant is one in a series of grants which CompTIA is making on behalf of its TechVoice partners. Funded through its Creating IT Futures Foundation, the grants work to support community-based efforts in promoting IT and IT workforce development, education, and training.

Tech Collective will use the funds to purchase technology resources to enhance its STEM outreach, awareness, and engagement initiatives on the youth, transitioning worker, and public levels. Planned purchases include laptops, tablets, and a portable mini-projector to be used for outreach such as on-site presentations and education at high schools, netWORKri One Stop Centers, and at public forums.

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“These technologies will contribute to Tech Collective’s mission to ‘inspire, engage, educate, and employ’ in two ways,” said Giselle Mahoney, manager of communications and media relations for Tech Collective. “One: by providing the resources to streamline some of our awareness and messaging efforts; and two: allowing us to engage the community through high-tech, high-touch technologies. In combination with our industry speakers, there is no better way to engage a classroom of aspiring tech professionals, for example, then to let them experience the tools they could be working with – such as apps and tablets.”

Continues Mahoney: “Tech Collective is proud to partner with our industry members as well as technology leaders such as CompTIA in our efforts to help promote STEM awareness and the development of a workforce prepared with the skills to meet the needs of Rhode Island’s technology employers.”

“The advancement of STEM education is critical to building our nation’s future technology workforce,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA. “Students who are better educated in these areas can become more effective and innovative employees in technology companies and in IT jobs supporting companies in almost every sector of the economy. Through our foundation, Creating IT Futures, and partnerships such as TechVoice, CompTIA is contributing to local STEM education – and workforce readiness – in states across the country, including Rhode Island.”

CompTIA’s grant to Tech Collective is part of CompTIA’s policy to support the creation of jobs in the technology industry. Its Creating IT Futures Foundation provides training and certification opportunities to people who have historically been under-represented in the IT workforce, including individuals with disabilities, at-risk youth, women, and military personnel and their spouses.

“Overall, we hope to further the growth and development of the IT industry through the creation and support of programs that increase the size and improve the quality of our technology workforce,” said Thibodeaux.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org or follow CompTIA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/comptia.

About TechVoice
TechVoice (www.techvoice.org) is a partnership of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA), and participating regional technology associations. Collectively, we represent thousands of technology companies across the country employing millions of workers. We are dedicated to empowering and mobilizing the grassroots tech community to impact legislative and regulatory issues important to growth, innovation and job creation.

About Tech Collective:
Tech Collective is Rhode Island’s Bioscience and Information Technology Industry Association. Uniting industry, government and academic stakeholders, our mission is to inspire, engage, educate and employ a high-skill, high-wage Knowledge Economy in Rhode Island. Since its transition from the Rhode Island Technology Council (RITEC) in 2004, Tech Collective has received more than $6.3M in federal, state and private grant funding to foster industry and workforce awareness, collaboration, and development through forums and initiatives including: Tech10, GRRL Tech, Women in Technology, Bio-Ed, and STEM-based education and training programs for K-16 students as well as incumbent and transitioning workers. Get connected to Tech Collective at www.tech-collective.org, on Facebook (TechCollectiveRI), Twitter (@Tech_Collective), and on Linkedin (Tech Collective).

Contacts:
Gayle Kansagor
202-295-8775 / gayle.kansagor@harbourgrp.com

Giselle Mahoney
401-521-7805 x101 / gmahoney@tech-collective.org