Tech summit highlights Utah’s Silicon Slopes
SALT LAKE CITY — Developing more home-grown talent is a major concern for Utah business and technology leaders gathered at a two-day summit at the Salt Palace.
“We have to get more into our high schools and into our colleges to create the skills that we need in this state,” said Cydni Tetro, co-founder and executive director of Women Tech Council, at Thursday’s opening of the inaugural Silicon Slopes Tech Summit.
With about 5,000 tech companies in Utah, and more created each year, the need for qualified, educated talent is constantly growing, Silicon Slopes executive board member Carine Clark said. The tech industry needs to help develop a statewide program that can cultivate and inspire more young people to choose careers in technology, she said.
Other speakers agreed.
“We need the entire gamut of people in the industry,” Tetro said. “We need Ph.Ds, but we also need people who just take coding curriculum.”
By Jasen Lee, KSL