Tech Council preps strategic plan launch

The Tech Council of Delaware launched in March 2023, and now a year later, it’s taking a forward look with a new strategic plan. | DBT FILE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS

WILMINGTON — Officially spinning off from the Rodel Foundation, the Tech Council of Delaware has now turned its eyes to an independent future and is preparing to roll out a plan to guide its next steps for the next three years.

The nonprofit contracted with the Barthwell Group from Detroit for an objective, outside view of the technology ecosystem in the First State and potential partners, avenues for growth and challenges that may lie ahead. To help shape that plan, the Barthwell Group held focus group sessions and interviews with Tech Council staff and stakeholders in the Greater Philadelphia region. The Tech Council unveiled the plan’s guiding principles at its second Tech Ecosystem Conference in Wilmington earlier this summer.

The Tech Council of Delaware’s new vision is to advocate for and sustain a strong and inclusive tech workforce in Delaware to ensure a thriving economy and equitable career opportunities for all Delawareans. 

“We know Delaware is a small state and there’s a lot of interconnections. While we’re a member organization, the point of being a member is having that stickiness between the organizations and the tech workers that want to see Delaware have a thriving, vibrant tech ecosystem,” said Zakiyyah Ali, the executive director of Tech Council of Delaware. 

“We have stakeholders that are heavily involved in the need for workers and those who provide the training, as well as others who have a vested interest in seeing Delaware succeed,” she told the Delaware Business Times. “But we’re also thinking expansively about the businesses in the state that need to hire for the workforce, but that may not be their core focus.”

The three core focus areas outlined in the strategic plan include: tech talent development and economic mobility; advocacy; and professional network development. 

Building off those focus areas, the Tech Council has set goals in pursuing funding, be it federal, state or nonprofit funding, to boost the workforce development programs. The plan is also to support development on workforce programs to get Delawareans ready for high-paying tech jobs, as well as developing a network between workers and possible employers and recruiters to develop a pipeline.

“We want the workforce to have the skills and the preparedness to apply and compete for high-quality jobs and increase their quality of life. Our higher education and community partners can definitely play a role,” Ali said.

The Tech Council also will look forward to being a strong voice in advocating in the legislative hall in Dover as well as in Washington D.C. It’s a move that other organizations across the county and Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) have been leaning into — and Tech Council Director of Operations Joshua Berkow said it’s more timely than ever.

“We’re seeing a lot of laws being passed in the state, like the Delaware Data Privacy Act and the new artificial intelligence commission. We want to make sure the interests of tech are well represented in those conversations,” Berkow said.

Looking at the larger picture, both Ali and Berkow see that Delaware has a unique position when it comes to the technology world. With Wilmington a quick drive to Philadelphia and New Jersey, there’s opportunities to connect with larger markets, but south of the C & D Canal is more rural but still has a wealth of people looking to upskill in the growing tech field.

That may be addressed with Tech Council collaborations like the Yes, We Tech! Internship program that was launched in 2023. With partners like the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League and Code Differently, the program sponsors 19 high school students for a seven-week program that focuses on soft and tech skills.

With Code Differently as the employer of record, the 19 students were paid and worked on projects with companies like CSC, Buccini Pollin Group, WSFS Bank, Delmarva Power, Rodel. Students graduated from the program on Aug. 2.

“We do know that digital equity will define for our young people and adults how they will be successful in society, and this program. We’d love to expand that program into Kent and Sussex County, but we need partners to help make it work,” Ali said. “We have students even in Smyrna who want to participate, but sadly, public transportation is not a feasible option to get them up here.”

Investing in education and working with education will continue to remain a major piece of Tech Council’s strategy moving forward, as getting high school students ready for jobs starts well before their final classes. The nonprofit will continue its partnership with Rodel, but others like Kai Coders, who teach kids as young as 6 and as old as 12 how to code, and the Delaware Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education are coming to the table.

“We’re starting to have meetings on how we can amplify each other’s reach and impact in the state,” Berkow said. “We want people to get in the mindset that we’re here to power the engine, and that engine is our other stakeholders in Delaware.”