The Nashville Technology Council & Its Members to Advocate for Enhanced Apprenticeships, Workforce Development Programs, and Other Innovation Issues on Trip to DC, Organized by CompTIA.

NTC Media Contact: Alex Curtis / 202.713.5422

Nashville, Tennessee February 13, 2017 – This week, leaders in the Nashville technology community join the Nashville Technology Council (NTC) for a DC Fly-In to advocate for tech sector priorities on Capitol Hill.  The Washington, DC trip is a program organized by CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, through its advocacy arm, which champions member-driven business and IT priorities that impact all information technology companies.

This year’s trip marks NTC’s third mission to DC, the first for new NTC president & CEO and Brian Moyer, as well as several NTC members including representatives from the Center for Medical Interoperability, Change Healthcare, Deloitte, HCA IT&S, icitizen, Middle Tennessee State University – Jones College of Business, Nissan, Trinisys, WPC Healthcare, and Women in Technology of Tennessee.

“Innovation is a key force behind a strong Nashville economy,” said Moyer. “The most important issue facing Middle Tennessee across every industry today is the availability of a skilled tech workforce. We’ll share with our elected officials the importance of internships and apprenticeships as an avenue to train the next generation of IT workers, and explain how enhanced education models will spur economic growth and help Nashville to become our country’s creative tech destination.”

The trip is an opportunity for members of Congress to better understand the needs of the tech community in their districts and build relationships with Middle Tennessee tech businesses, innovative product and service providers, and tech educators.  The group will be meeting with Tennessee’s congressional delegation to educate on the need for improved national and local workforce programs to narrow the skills gap with education, training, and career placement. Promoting the importance of diversity in the workplace, improved access to open data, and increased voter engagement are also priorities for the group.

“I’m excited to participate with the Nashville Technology Council and CompTIA to meet our congressional delegation and advocate for tech workforce development and to discuss the importance and potential of cutting edge applications in big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence,” said Guy Crossley, President of WPC Healthcare.

“We’re excited to participate in the DC Fly-In and work with the NTC and our representatives to better develop Middle Tennessee’s IT workforce,” said Alida Beck, Business Development Manager at icitizen. “We work with elected officials through our civic tech platform on a daily basis to gauge constituent support for different issues, and it’s only fitting we take the same collaborative approach to our business. Nashville’s growing workforce affects not only major corporations but startups like ours and a strong talent pool is vital to maintaining a competitive edge in any company.”

“Workforce development will continue to be a concern for the Nashville community.  It will take all levels of education from K-12 to 4 year institutions, along with industry partners and government agencies to help develop our local talent to meet our growing IT demands,” said Charlie H. Apigian, PhD., Professor and Chair, Computer Information Systems at Jones College of Business, MTSU. Charlie also serves on the NTC Board of Directors.

The Nashville Technology Council has been ramping up its advocacy capability over the past year. The NTC’s Tech Community Hill Day & Reception is scheduled for March 1, 2017, where NTC members will meet with local Tennessee legislators to educate on the need for increased efforts around tech workforce development, increased access to infrastructure and capital, lowering tax burdens, and prioritizing workforce diversity.

“We look forward to the 2017 legislative agenda and remain encouraged by the conversations on Capitol Hill about issues critical to our membership,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA. “We will work closely with congressional leaders to push legislation that boosts the digital economy and fosters American innovation.”

The DC Fly-In runs February 14-15, 2017. For more information on CompTIA’s advocacy efforts, visit https://www.comptia.org/advocacy.

Nashville Technology Council

The Nashville Technology Council exists to be a catalyst for the growth and influence of Middle Tennessee’s technology industry. Founded in 1999, The Nashville Technology Council is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit association on advancing the region’s technology industry. The NTC connects, unites, develops, and promotes the Middle Tennessee technology community. It drives an innovative and connected regional economy for technology-based growth.

WPC Healthcare

WPC supports building the “information IQ” of every client to ensure healthcare is ready for whatever comes down the road – next month or next year. WPC Healthcare is the right partner to optimize business and technology processes fueled by accurate, organized data. WPC is an expert in healthcare data, including reimbursement, compliance, integration and predictive analytics. With the right mix of technologists, subject matter experts and data scientists, WPC offers payers, providers and health systems the decision support and business intelligence to transform data into understanding.

icitizen

icitizen connects people with their elected officials and the organizations they care about. Using icitizen, people vote on and promote issues and policies that affect their lives. Elected officials and organizations use that feedback to inform policy and make sound, data-driven decisions. By working together online, people and their leaders build stronger, more connected communities in the real world.

icitizen is based in Nashville, Tenn., and was featured as a 2016 IDC Innovator for Political Engagement Technology. For more information, visit icitizen.com.

The Jones College at Middle Tennessee State University

The Jones College is a major collegiate business school having both business and accounting accreditation from AACSB International with 3200 students and 161 full-time faculty and staff. The Jones College is the third largest college at MTSU and offers three undergraduate degree programs with ten undergraduate majors, seven master’s degree programs, and one doctoral program. The college also offers a considerable amount of service by offering 19 minors that are open to students throughout the university regardless of their major. The Jones College is the top producer of baccalaureate and graduate business graduates for the Greater Nashville economy.

CompTIA: Building the Foundation for Technology’s Future

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world’s leading technology association, with approxi- mately 2,000 member companies, 3,000 academic and training partners, over 100,000 registered users and more than two million IT certifications issued. CompTIA’s unparalleled range of programs foster workforce skills development and gen- erate critical knowledge and insight – building the foundation for technology’s future. Visit CompTIA online, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About CompTIA Advocacy

Through its advocacy arm, CompTIA champions member-driven business and IT priorities that impact all information tech- nology companies – from small managed solutions providers and software developers to large equipment manufacturers and communications service providers. CompTIA gives eyes, ears and a voice to technology companies, informing them of policy developments – and providing the means to do something about it.