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White House Launches Program To Fill Tech Jobs

WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Filling high-paying jobs in high tech. Right now, there are more openings than applicants.

Alex DeMetrick reports the White House is launching a program to fill those jobs.

High tech and low numbers of people skilled enough to work in it. In Maryland, federal agencies employ 9,000 tech workers.

"We have half a million jobs open in the technology sector that are going unfilled in our country," said Meghan Smith, White House Technology Chief. "Many here in Baltimore. I think the number is 20,000."

"And we know we have thousands of talented people that just need the training to take advantage of that," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

So Baltimore tech companies and educators learned the city is joining the competition for White House tech hire grants. One hundred million dollars are up for grabs, $50 million of it specifically for 17 to 29-year-olds lacking tech training. Nationwide, 30 to 40 businesses and schools with the best training plans will be selected.

"It's so important for our youth to really see a pathway and see what's possible for them in their future," said Jennifer Bodensiek, Junior Achievement of Central Maryland.

"It definitely was never anything I thought of being a career path," said Jayana Johnson.

But then Johnson did a 22-week high tech boot camp in New York and changed her life.

"It's pretty much been a 180," she said.

Younger students are being exposed earlier to tech projects. The grants are for work-age people who missed high tech head starts.

The pay off for the tech hire program is quite literally a payoff.

"I've been making more money than I've possibly made in my entire life and I just want to be able to do something I love, something I know is contributing to my future," Johnson said.

The competition for the grant money has also been extended to programs offering technical training to former prison inmates.

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