While Wilmington is gaining a reputation as a technology hub – it was ranked fifth in the state on the Tech Innovation Index in 2023 – many of the area’s tech positions are filled by remote workers. A group of local tech employers, The Tech Talent Collaborative, is trying to change that.

The collaborative, hosted by the Cape Fear Collective, is led by Vantaca, Live Oak Bank and MegaCorp Logistics. A smattering of other local tech employers also participate in it.

The group is working to build a pipeline of skilled technology professionals, a necessity if the area is to continue to attract technology and other businesses, according to Lisa Leath, one of the collaborative’s co-chairs and Vantaca’s chief people officer.

“People will invest (in the area) if there are folks to hire,” Leath said. “We want to make sure that as businesses continue to grow and come to Wilmington; we are attracting mid-sized businesses and larger businesses to Wilmington; and we want to make sure that we have the talent to do that.”

Pasha Maher, founding partner of technology workforce training company Stiegler EdTech, added that hiring local talent benefits both employers and the community. Relocating staff is expensive for companies, and employees who work remotely do not contribute to the community, he said.

Although the collaborative has only existed for two years, it has made significant progress toward meeting its goals. Through data collection and information sharing, it determined that Wilmington is working at a substantial deficit when it comes to local technology talent, according to Leath. At Vantaca, for example, she estimated that 60% of the company’s technology staff is remote and 40% is local – a discrepancy that likely applies to other local technology companies, she said.

The group identified the most-needed technology jobs locally: front-end and back-end software engineers, data engineers and Salesforce administrators. It also pinpointed the skills tech employees need to perform those jobs.

The collaborative is using both traditional and nontraditional educational paths to grow Wilmington’s tech talent pool and ensure its future tech personnel needs are met.

One innovative program the collaborative has brought to the area is Stiegler EdTech’s Careers in Technology Apprenticeship Cohort (CTAC). CTAC provides expedited, high-quality tech training, and Stiegler EdTech goes the extra mile to make the program accessible to qualified applicants. For example, qualified applicants do not need prior education or experience in technology.

That said, CTAC is competitive. Nearly 900 individuals applied for Wilmington’s first CTAC cohort, but only 31 were accepted.

Those in CTAC’s cohort engage in a rigorous 24-week program where they learn everything from fundamental coding to high-end technology skills through individual study and group projects. In the program’s second half, CTAC staff works to match students with potential local employers, which makes CTAC more of an apprenticeship, Maher said.

In addition, CTAC pays cohort members a $17,000 stipend while they are learning.

The program is so successful that graduates from Stiegler’s Charlotte CTAC programs often earn beginning salaries of $55,000, and many may double that within 18 months, according to Maher.

Nicholas Moppert, who is transitioning from a career in the military, found that Wilmington’s CTAC program fit his needs perfectly – so much so that he suspended his studies in computer science and software engineering at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (and gave up his GI bill college benefits) to participate in the program.

“I did a lot of research,” Moppert said. “You need a four-year degree and to work in the field for four to five years before being considered for a job like this program gives you. This cuts the curve. We’re on the fast track; they place you in a job. You get your foot in the doorway faster than in college.”

Although Brittany Bowen has no background in computers or technology, she, too, is embarking on a new career through CTAC. The former human resources professional said CTAC is giving her the skills and the courage to move forward.

“The collaborative hopes to bring additional CTAC programs to Wilmington if local companies hire the graduates. If so, new funding sources will be needed. The current cohort is funded by federal money the city received from the American Rescue Plan Act. Future cohorts will require funding from employer sponsorships (which is done with Charlotte-based CTAC cohorts) or grants, according to Leath.