Microsoft Corporation recently announced an initiative to create a coalition of public, private and nonprofit organizations in order to give veterans and their spouses the skills and resources needed to be successful in today's civilian workforce. The initiative is part of the Microsoft Elevate America program.

As part of the effort, Microsoft will contribute $2 million in cash and up to $6 million in software during the next two years to support programs for members of the armed services and their spouses who are separating from the military and reintegrating into their civilian communities.

The initiative is intended to support active duty service members who are transitioning out of the military and members of the National Guard and Reserves returning to civilian jobs. The company will use a competitive funding process to award cash, software and other resources to eligible organizations, including veterans service organizations, workforce agencies, community colleges and other nonprofit organizations.

The initiative will help with technology skills training, job placement, career counseling and other support services, such as childcare, transportation and housing. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the first organization to join the coalition.

"In the coming years, a significant number of veterans will seek civilian employment opportunities," Paul Rieckhoff, founder and executive director of IAVA, said. "Microsoft's new initiative provides veterans with the tools to successfully transition to new careers and contribute to economic growth in an especially tough economy.

"Microsoft has been the leader in the technology revolution, and we appreciate its strength and commitment to our returning heroes," he continued. "The company is sending a message to veterans nationwide that it has their back. IAVA is excited to be a part of this coalition, and we look forward to working with Microsoft to make a historic impact."

The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are about 185,000 unemployed Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Currently, the unemployment rate among those veterans is 20 percent higher than the overall unemployment rate for non-veterans.

"Our servicemen and women are amazing leaders, but to be able to compete in the tough job market when they return from duty, many of them need access to technology training," Pamela Passman, corporate vice president of Microsoft Global Corporate Affairs, said. "We are bringing together organizations and companies that can combine their competencies and resources with ours to make the greatest possible impact to help veterans and their spouses."

The latest IT jobs report from SkillProof and the North Carolina Technology Association found that the average number of daily IT job openings in the state decreased by more than 17 percent from December 2009 to January of this year, indicating that there is no immediate IT jobs recovery on the way.

"Even though the U.S. economy grew during the last two quarters of 2009, this positive development has not led to higher (job) demand in January," the report notes.

Overall, employers throughout North Carolina posted an average of 1,300 IT job openings each day during January, which is a 17.7 percent decrease from December. The daily job opening average in the Raleigh area alone decreased by 8.7 percent, compared with a 7.1 percent national average decline.

When it comes to average job openings posted daily, there were 4,000 two years ago; 1,120 one year ago; 1,770 during November and 1,580 during December.

The sectors with the most job openings during January include:

• Systems engineering and support - 380
• Software development - 220
• IT architects and consultants - 130
• Systems administration - 110
• IT management - 100
• IT sales and marketing - 90
• Training and tech writing - 40
• Business and process design - 30
• Miscellaneous categories - 30
• Hardware engineering - 10

The top 15 skills needed by employers during January, in no particular order, were: Windows OS, C++/V++, Linux, Java, Oracle DBMS, SQL, Unix, Business analysis, Microsoft SQL Server, Windows NT/2000/2003 Server, XML, Perl, Large system technologies and Virtualization technology.

Yelp, a San Francisco-based technology company, recently announced its plans to open an office in Scottsdale, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix. In addition to the new office, the company also plans to increase hiring to support its expansion in the United States and abroad.

The company plans to hire more than 200 employees this year alone. Positions will be available throughout numerous departments, although the priority will be in sales and account management. Yelp currently has more than 340 employees, most of whom work at the company's San Francisco headquarters and its New York City office.

Yelp is a community local search site that connects consumers with local businesses through user-written reviews and ratings. The company has experienced rapid growth during recent years, with 29 million people using the site during January and content doubling to more than 9 million reviews last year.

"Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix area have a vibrant and growing Yelp community," Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO and co-founder of Yelp, said. "The region is also a great place to locate a technology business, having a strong infrastructure and an educated talent pool of potential employees. We are excited to make Scottsdale home to our third Yelp office and the hundreds of future Yelp employees who will live, work and play in this great area."

Aside from its Web site, Yelp is available on many mobile platforms, including its popular iPhone app. The company also offers free tools for local businesses to market to its consumer community. Yelp earns revenue through search and display advertising.

"Yelp's decision to grow and expand here showcases why Arizona is the ideal base for companies who need to reach out to the world," Donald Cardon, director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, said. "They now join the growing number of companies ranging from Fortune 500 companies to high-techs to start-ups who enjoy a dynamic business climate, wonderful quality of life and talented workforce."

Yelp, which was founded in 2004, currently serves as the leading U.S. local guide for real word-of-mouth on everything from boutiques and mechanics to restaurants and dentists. The company's services are currently available throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Montbello High School recently announced that it will offer the Broadband Opportunity Learning Development program, a course that will train students for technical jobs in the cable and broadband industry. The course was created by JonesNCTI, the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver and other partners.

According to an article by The Denver Post, students participating in the program will be able to complete their coursework online, and can earn up to six college credits upon completion of the course. The program lasts between five and 10 weeks and is tailored to each student.

Although the program typically costs $1,200 per student, JonesNCTI, ULMD and Hope Online are covering the costs for a pilot class of 17 students. The school hopes to eventually enroll up to 200 students per year in the course. Future classes could potentially be paid for by companies looking to hire students who complete the program.

Although completion of the program will result in a certification allowing students to be an installer in the broadband industry, the program also will expose students to careers beyond that industry. Students will ultimately learn how to connect with people and develop professional relationships.

One unique aspect of the course is that it features a scaled version of a home that will be used to teach students how to install Internet, video and phone service. The model house was donated by Tuff Shed, while Arris, an equipment manufacturer, donated tools.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski recently announced that Facebook is planning to build a multi-million dollar data center in Prineville, Ore. The facility is expected to create more than 200 construction jobs during the building phase. Once finished, the data center will employ at least 35 full-time workers, as well as dozens of part-time and contract employees.

"This is great news for Prineville and really the entire state," Kulongoski said. "I am pleased to welcome this leading Internet technology company to Oregon. The stable, family-wage jobs and economic stimulus they will provide to this area during construction are a bright spot as this nation and this state climb out of this recession."

The facility will be used to help store and route information posted by Facebook users. Oregon worked with company representatives for several months to help bring together the land, utilities and incentives to make the project a success.

"After a rigorous review process of sites across the West Coast, Facebook concluded that Prineville offered the best package of resources – including a suitable climate for environmental cooling, renewable power resources, available land, talented regional workforce and supportive business environment," Tom Furlong, director of site operations for Facebook, said.

"The City of Prineville, Crook County and the State of Oregon have all been tremendously persuasive in helping us make this decision," he continued. "We look forward to joining the community and working with them to provide faster, more reliable and more robust service to people around the world who rely on Facebook to connect and share."

The new facility, which will be designed to LEED gold standards, will employ innovative cooling and power management technologies that will make it one of the most energy efficient data centers in the country by using renewable energy resources from Pacific Power.

"I thank Facebook for choosing Oregon and am hopeful this decision will act as a big 'open for business sign' for other companies in this quickly growing field," Kulongoski added. "This is a great example of how the public and private sector work together to create economic opportunity for Oregon communities."

Houston tech jobs

Ten local organizations that offer the connections and resources necessary to build a successful technology company will come together this week for the Tech Connection event hosted by radio personality Michael Garfield.

The event, which will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. January 28 at The Houstonian Hotel, will allow attendees to learn about these organizations, their plans for the future and what the City of Houston is doing to create tech jobs during these tough economic times.

Organizations scheduled to present at the event include: BioHouston; Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Houston Bauer College of Business; Greater Houston Partnership; Houston Angel Network; HTC Americas; MIT Enterprise Forum of Texas; Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship; Startup Houston ; and University of Houston Small Business Development Center.

"Tech Connection is a prime example of how the local tech community comes together to share ideas, network, and build collaborative relationships," Walter Ulrich, president and CEO of the Houston Technology Center said. "If you are involved in the tech community, this is an event you will want to attend."

Tech Connection was founded by HTC's Emergency Technology Council, a volunteer organization that supports the emerging technology community throughout the Houston area. ETC's vision is to make Houston a recognized center for the creation and growth of emerging technology business.

More specifically, ETC focuses on building infrastructure; retaining and attracting emerging technology companies; and being a concierge for emerging technology companies to connect them to resources, customers and sources of capital.

HTC is a nonprofit business accelerator that works to educate entrepreneurs and assist emerging companies in Houston's key technology sectors, including energy, information technology, life sciences and NASA-originated technologies.

HTC is currently supported by 300 professional firms, corporations and organizations, as well as leading academic institutions, the Greater Houston Partnership, Texas Medical Center, Johnson Space Center and the City of Houston.

A recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. found that tech companies planned to cut 174,629 jobs during 2009, accounting for a 12.3 percent increase from 2008 and the highest total since 2005. Those job losses account for 13.2 percent of the 1.3 million jobs lost across all industries last year.

"The recession's impact on the tech sector was inescapable," Chief Executive John Challenger said. "Even with the economy showing some nascent signs of recovery ... many companies are holding off on investments in new technology."

Electronics companies made the most job cuts, losing 65,300 workers, followed by computer employers with 65,261 job eliminations and telecommunications with 44,068 planned job cuts.

The majority of layoffs were announced during Q1 2009, with more than 84,000 planned job cuts announced during that time. More than 65,000 job cuts were announced on January 30 alone, including positions from Sprint Nextel and Texas Instruments, while Microsoft announced that same month that it planned to cut 5,000 jobs.

Fortunately, job cuts slowed to 34,000 by Q4 2009, which experts say could signal a decrease in job cuts this year. When tech companies do start to hire again, laid-off workers will have a much easier time finding a job among the competitive applicant pool if they're using outplacement services.

"It's going to be a slow climb," Challenger said. "Computer and electronics firms should be among the first to see the turnaround, as companies try to postpone hiring by achieving productivity gains through technology."

Another positive this year is the push for electronic health records, which should increase spending and jobs throughout the technology industry. Currently, only 44 percent of physicians use electronic records, and only 7 percent of them consider the systems fully functional, meaning IT professionals will be needed to implement new systems and improve existing systems.

The recently-opened Miami-Dade College North Campus Science Complex will work to advance education in STEM - or science, technology, engineering and mathematics - disciplines and serve as a regional hub for research development.

MDC, an undergraduate two-year college, considers the new science complex a valuable tool for students who must meet certain science course requirements in order to graduate. The 90,000-square-foot complex was funded in part by the State of Florida and two grants from the U.S. Department of Education.

The facility is equipped with the latest technology and features 21 laboratories with media stations, a Palmetum, a roof-top observatory, classrooms, lecture hall, faculty and administrative offices, botanical garden, greenhouse, chiller plant building, outdoor plaza and cafe.

The complex will serve as a hands-on training ground for students interested in biotechnology, chemical technology, environmental sciences and advanced manufacturing. Students who study these fields can end up in a variety of jobs, including everything from research technologist to environmental scientist.

"The Science Complex has been designed with the latest in the scientific industry as well as to provide exceptional learning environment and opportunities for science major students in the classroom and the laboratories," North Campus President Dr. José A. Vicente said.

"Intensive research of best practices from other institutions across the country was conducted by MDC prior to the architectural design development, and the Science Complex is now among those top institutions across the country," he added.

The Florida Opportunity Fund recently announced that it will award up to $4 million to Harbert Venture Partners, a Birmingham-based investment firm. Last year, the firm established a unit at the University of Florida's Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator to increase its access to new biotech companies with promising products.

According to an article by the Orlando Sentinel, Harbert Venture Partners mainly invests in early-stage healthcare and information technology companies throughout the Southeastern United States. The company has offices in Gainesville, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Richmond, Va.

Created in 2008, FOF is a state-funded, public-private unit co-managed by MILCOM Venture Partners. The organization has been working to lure more financing for start-up companies in Florida. Currently, it has committed $16 million to four investment firms looking to increase their venture deals with Florida companies.

The fund works out deals with professional venture investment firms to attract more financing for cutting-edge companies, in return spurring the growth of high-paying tech jobs and diversifying Florida's economy.

During 2009, the fund provided seed investments to Orlando-based Inflexion Partners; Element Partners, which has offices in Radnor, Pa., and Menlo Park, Calif.; and Maryland-based New Enterprise Associates.

The Orlando area could certainly use the additional workers, as the local economy has seen an increase in unemployment and continued to lose jobs on a monthly and yearly basis.

During November 2009, the Orlando-Kissimmee area's unemployment rate increased from 11.5 percent to 11.8 percent, following a decrease from 11.6 percent during October. This decrease keeps the area's rate higher than the national unemployment rate of 10 percent.

The area had a total non-farm employment of 1,018,500 workers during November, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,019,100 workers during October and a 4.1 percent decrease from November 2008.

Throughout Tennessee, there are a variety of occupations in the information technology industry. The industry itself has a positive outlook throughout the nation and locally, with most positions expected to grow during the near future.

Some of the most popular jobs within the IT industry, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, include:

• Computer programmers - It is projected there will be 8,900 of these workers by 2014. They convert project specifications, problem statements and procedures into detailed, logical flow charts for coding into computer language. They also develop and write computer programs.
• Computer and information systems managers - It is projected there will be 6,850 of these workers by 2014. They work to plan, direct or coordinate activities in the electronic data processing, information systems, systems analysis or computer programming fields.
• Computer software engineers specializing in applications - It is projected there will be 4,640 of these workers by 2014. They develop, create and modify general computer applications software and specialized utility programs. They also analyze user needs and develop software solutions, as well as design and customize software for client use.
• Computer software engineers specializing in systems software - It is projected there will be 4,270 of these workers by 2014. They research, design, develop and test operating systems-level software, compilers and network distribution software for medical, industrial, military, communications, aerospace, business, scientific and general computing applications.
• Computer and information scientists specializing in research - It is projected there will be 270 of these workers by 2014. They work as theorists, designers or inventors to research fundamental computer science and information science. They often solve or develop solutions to computer software or hardware problems.
• All other computer specialists - All other information technology occupations are expected to employ 1,020 workers by 2014.