2 min read September 2022 — In an interview with Invest:, Audrey Russo, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, talked about some of the philanthropic initiatives that have been put in place to give women and people of color more opportunities to learn software development and land high-paying and highly needed positions. Russo also discussed the likelihood of industries continuing to adopt technology into their operations for the sake of efficiency and as hybrid working environments are cemented as standard practice.
How has the past year played out for the Technology Council?
We have been focused on creating pathways for those that have been disconnected from opportunities. We launched an apprenticeship program to open pathways to those who have never been connected to innovation. The program has been modeled after the trades and focuses on people of color and women, putting them through software development bootcamps. Upon completion of a logic and math assessment they can join the program as long as they are hired at a company, so they are paid to learn until working in the job completely. These are high-paying and high-demand jobs being made available to people who never thought they would have such an opportunity. We are very excited about this intentional work that highlights the importance of diversity.
Also in regard to diversity, we had a chance to do a lot of listening sessions with CEOs and founders to understand what we can do better. In addition to the apprenticeship program, we also put in place Launch, which works with young girls in high school to give them exposure to innovation technology and leadership. These cohorts of girls come from different areas in the Pittsburgh region and are mentored by people in tech. It’s been exciting to see the success of the program and that we actually have a waitlist. We have to remember that internships and the college path often leave out a lot of people. The access to technology and innovation isn’t just one path.
We are also working to create conversations and relationships in regard to climate change, the goal of net-zero emissions and our ecosystem.
What role will technology play in the future of industry and companies?
I definitely see it accelerating in the healthcare space but almost every sector is dealing with efficiencies because of labor shortages and competing for talent on a global level. Everyone is always looking for automation and for ways to avoid work that is harmful or repetitive. Everyone is wrestling with how to create more integration with technology so people can get more value out of their work. All that has been happening over the last 20 to 30 years though. In the healthcare space, telemedicine is here to stay and with the rise in costs for healthcare we’re seeing the adoption of interesting ways to stay connected through various devices.
Everyone is also dealing with the switch to hybrid schedules. I’d say we are never going back to the way things were but I also can’t say where we are going.
Another industry where tech is important is manufacturing. Our levels of efficiency are high and it takes fewer people to ensure a decent output, so clearly manufacturers have worked to adopt automation. In the future, I think more people will want to avoid repetitive and labor-intensive jobs as well as being confined without any flexibility.
What are the goals of the organization Fortyx80?
The way to think about that organization is really the philanthropic drivers that will propel the next generation of talent. While it is a philanthropic nonprofit that receives donations, the strength of the organization has been the relationships built with corporations. We are well suited to drive the model and are looking to expand the program next year to have an easier entry level and more job categories.
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