GAME CHANGER
A hefty set of jumper cables was needed to restart the stalled
“I used to live in Orlando and I’m always
recruitment engine in Florida from 2008. Earlier this year, the Florida
glad to come home to see such a thriving
High Tech Corridor popped the hood and stood alongside partners
economy,” said Melanie Parker, executive
throughout the Corridor region to help create a necessary spark.
director of Massachusetts Institute of
Technology Global Education and Career
“It was time to take a big step forward in helping high
Development. “The Corridor is certainly a
region I look to when placing MIT grads.”
tech industry continue to grow locally,” said Randy
Berridge, president of The Corridor. “The Great Recession
Joining MIT, representatives from Purdue, the
stopped progress for a few years, but recently companies
Melon and others discussed potential recruits
University of Pennsylvania, Duke, Carnegie
have been posting more and more wanted ads, startups
with local corporate leaders including
are expanding outside of coffee shops and venture
Grumman, plus small businesses, such as,
capital trends as a hot topic among local entrepreneurs.
The steps being taken to mitigate these problems could
use a boost – thus Career Expo 2016.”
Lockheed Martin, EA SPORTS and Northrop
Coastal Cloud in Palm Coast and ReliaQuest
in Tampa.
“I live on the beach and work in the cloud,”
said Tim Hale, Coastal Cloud co-founder.
The Corridor’s Career Expo 2016 brought together career center
“That’s what I’m selling when we recruit talent.
professionals from the nation’s top universities and local business
Florida is a great state for technology careers,
representatives for two days of networking in an effort to place
but it’s also great for work-life balance. Career
graduates with tech degrees in the region. Hosted at the Orange
Expo helps me share that message and fill
County Convention Center, career center professionals were
open positions.”
introduced to what the 23-county region has to offer tech grads and
74
were asked to consider referring companies in the region when top
Hale delivered a key note address to more
talent is looking for a job.
than 100 attendees highlighting the benefits
s p ec ia l se c tio n