MORE SLOPERS NEEDED! SOLUTIONS FOR CREATING THE FUTURE SILICON SLOPES WORKFORCE.

• Author: Checketts, Vance

We are victims of our own success in the Silicon Slopes--we've created so many tech jobs so fast that we're having a hard time filling them all. Ours is not a unique situation, however. Most tech hubs face a similar challenge. The solutions are obvious, but not easy:

1. Attract more people

2. Educate our kids for the future

Attracting people involves marketing and fixing the things that may make the Silicon Slopes (or any other hub) seem less attractive than other locations. But my thoughts here focus on solutions for better educating the future Silicon Slopes workforce.

First, I must say that I believe that STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) is a critical and educationally underserved set of disciplines, especially in kindergarten through eighth grade. Second, I must say that studying theses disciplines in no way limits someone to a degree or a job in those fields. Quite the contrarystudying these fields opens up doors in any industry. The average job is increasingly dependent on STEM skills and we will all benefit from better understanding them.

My solution for STEM education falls into three areas:

* Focus

* Mentoring

* Disruption

FOCUS

The recently announced IT Pathway created by the state will play a key role in educating Utah's children. We need the focus that will come from having a formal "pathway" for the information technology sector within STEM. There are existing pathways for other disciplines and opportunity areas. The Aerospace Pathway is perhaps the most notable.

There are many great things already underway in Utah when it comes to education. I am particularly proud of the fact that so many tech companies are giving back to our community in different ways, giving time, money and resources. It is actually hard to find one that isn't.

The state is very active, too! In the last legislative session Senate Bill 190 passed, providing $1.2 million for computer science education starting in kindergarten. The session before last produced Senate Bill 103, providing $1.5 million for "stackable credentials," which help post-high school students get relevant college education quickly and in smaller increments, like certifications, but ultimately culminating in a degree.

All of this is good, but we've been lacking a cohesive strategy to coordinate and connect it all. That focus is exactly what the IT Pathway promises to provide.

MENTORING

We need industry mentors for students, teachers and parents. In the tech startup world, one of...