Rep. Carney’s office wants to know how it can help the tech community

Luckily for the Delaware tech community, The Archer Group is the main tenant in U.S. Rep. John Carney’s (D-Del) office building in downtown Wilmington.
Technology and innovation have always been on the congressman’s radar, his spokesman, Albert Shields, tells Technical.ly, but being office neighbors with the tech-focused interactive marketing firm has compelled Carney to get involved with making tech a more robust part of Delaware’s economy.
They’ve learned a thing or two from the Archer crew, Shields said, and realize that there’s huge potential in the Delaware tech sector. Shields is now talking to people in the community and researching ways Carney can help.
So far, Shields has discovered a few angles to the situation: He’s interested in learning what’s going on at the school level to prepare students for careers in technology. Then there’s the question of whether it’s more important to bring more tech-related jobs to the area or — adapting a page out of Zip Code Wilmington’s playbook — offer ways for people already here to learn how to be proficient in the tech fields. Or to do both.
Carney’s office hasn’t talked with the folks from NextFab yet, but Shields said he’s excited that the high-tech makerspace is expanding to Wilmington for not only providing more opportunities in technology and innovation but also for its value in teaching people manufacturing skills. Delaware’s manufacturing industry took a big hit, he said, when GM and Chrysler — along with more than 10,000 jobs — left during the Great Recession.
Shields said he’s also looking at how Carney can help the state’s scalable tech businesses and keep them in Delaware after they launch.
If you’ve got ideas or pointers for the Congressman’s office, Shields says to send them his way — on this page.