Meet Tech Council of Delaware
The Tech Council of Delaware is a non-profit workforce intermediary with a vision 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. The mission of the Council is to enhance tech workforce development and skill building to support an inclusive tech workforce. We mobilize our partners and members to seek impactful investments that expand employment opportunities and drive economic mobility for Delawareans pursuing tech-related careers.
The Council connects and convenes members and partners across the tech ecosystem to advance the Council’s four primary goals:
1. Pursue investments beneficial to Delaware’s tech workforce system
2. Support tech workforce development to enhance the skills and earnings potential for current and aspiring tech professionals
3. Develop and advance public policy positions at the state and federal levels to benefit Delaware’s tech ecosystem
4. Facilitate connections and relationship building between the tech workforce and employers and recruiters
To ensure all stakeholders in the tech ecosystem have a seat at the table, the Council designed memberships for both organizations and individuals. One-page benefit overviews for each membership type are available for download on the Council’s website. While the membership benefits are robust, all members are encouraged to participate on a relevant working committee. Through its committees, the Council has established a framework for the Delaware tech ecosystem to collaborate more efficiently and effectively.
While the Council only launched in March 2023, a lot of great work is already underway. In addition to establishing a membership structure and four working committees, the Council also formed the state’s first-ever sectoral partnership for tech, the First State Tech Partnership. To date, FSTP has designed three workforce programs. The Yes, We Tech! paid summer internship program for high school students was the first program to launch in June 2023, ultimately graduating 18 Technology Interns.
The Council also launched the American Dream Academy and Learner Support Initiative in Delaware, a no-cost online training program offering 14 different technology certificate courses through Coursera from companies such as Google, Meta, IBM and Salesforce as well as durable skills courses. Through this initiative, 21 residents are working to obtain a valuable industry-recognized credential with learner support and guidance from the Council.
The Council is also partnering with Amazon to promote the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship and Internship Program for high school seniors planning to pursue a computer science, engineering or related degree in college. The Council is offering essential application guidance and essay writing support to interested students to assist them with submitting a high-quality application.
As a convener, the Council has hosted numerous events including a new Tech Thursdays networking series which brings together both aspiring and current tech professionals to build their networks and have some fun! The Council also held its first-ever Tech Ecosystem Conference in October 2023 where members from the three active tech ecosystem committees, along with key stakeholders and strategic partners, engaged in four breakout sessions to advance the work of the Council in a unified and collaborative manner. The Council held its second annual Tech Ecosystem Conference in June 2024, which featured two days of engaging sessions including a Tech Start-up Symposium, Black Men Talk Tech panel discussion, multiple AI sessions, and tech workforce research presentations. Conferences like these further establish Delaware as a tech hub in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Having a tech council in Delaware has been a long-time goal and the efforts of various stakeholders and partners have now come to fruition. In December 2020, Governor Carney and other partners convened over 30 employers to formally launch the Council. In October 2021, the Delaware Community Foundation and Rodel established the Delaware IT Industry Council as an LLC within Rodel. Rodel, and other innovators, secured $3.2M in start-up capital and performed a national search for an executive director. Zakiyyah Ali was selected for the role and began on January 24, 2022.
As the Council’s inaugural executive director, Zakiyyah quickly hired a team and connected with leaders of peer organizations across the country through the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA), of which the Council is a member. Following these discussions and their own research, the team determined a rebranding was needed to provide Delaware’s tech council with parity to tech councils and emerging tech hubs across the country, as well as position the Council for short- and long-term impact, operational efficiency, financial stability and future success.
The newly rebranded Tech Council of Delaware team procured an online system featuring a front-end branded website and a back-end association management platform. Through the website and platform, members can access valuable benefits such as data fact sheets, a custom data dashboard, industry events, a career center, courses and workshops, product and service discounts, workforce services, member directory, news and research and so much more!
From its original start as the Delaware IT Industry Council, the new Tech Council of Delaware is positioned to put the First State on the map as an emerging Tech Hub!
Looking to get involved? Join the Council! If you’re an aspiring tech professional or are already working in tech, the Council is a great place to build your network and connect to everything tech in Delaware. You can also join us at the next Tech Thursdays networking event whether you’re a member or not!
If you represent a company or organization that hires or trains tech workers, we encourage you to join the Council, participate on a committee and work with the Council to strengthen the ecosystem together! Custom sponsorship arrangements are also available for organizations looking to support the Council, First State Tech Partnership workforce programs and/or Council events.
Finally, follow the Council on LinkedIn and subscribe to the newsletter for the latest in Council news and events.