The number of tech jobs in Tennessee has risen by 8%, according to the Technology Councils of North America. The trade group says it’s the largest increase in a U.S. state over the past two years.
Nashville Software School founder John Wark says the boom comes down to three things: the digital transformation of the state’s major industries — like healthcare, Nashville’s current and Chattanooga’s growing start up scenes, and Tennessee’s ability to attract people because of its favorable tax policy.
But now that these tech jobs are here, there’s been a lingering question of who will fill them.
“We clearly need the training infrastructure,” Wark says. “There was a lot of talk when Oracle came about, ‘How do we make sure Nashvillians don’t get left behind?'”
Wark says while college programs and tech schools like the one he runs do exist, there needs to be an intentional effort to get people already in the state plugged into those positions. He also adds that the state needs more continuing education programs for already tech savvy workers to get training to expand their skills.
“How do we keep our people growing? Where do they go for that kind of training? I think we will see a lot more attention paid to that over the next five to 10 years.”
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