DURHAM – Jessica Mitsch, CEO of Momentum Learning, is on the front lines of the war for high-tech talent every day as she and her staff help train people for the coding jobs of today and tomorrow. And she is not surprised in the slightest that the number of unfilled high-tech jobs across North Carolina continues to grow, now topping 31,000.

Jessica Mitsch, co-founder and CEO of Momentum Learning.

“The open jobs is a reflection of the rapid speed of the changing demand for skills needed in technology for our modern economy,” she tells WRAL TechWire.

But coding schools, community colleges and universities are apparently not turning out enough graduates to meet demand. Plus, Mitsch notes, companies are not involved enough to retrain current employees in order to meet changing requirements.

WRAL TechWire reached out to Mitsch after the most recent NC Technology Association’s report that found the number of open jobs has grown each month this year and much of 2018.

High-tech job openings surge across NC to more than 31,000

Here’s her insight about what’s going on and advice for job seekers:

  • Why are there so many open jobs?

We’re seeing a continued boom in the opportunity around technology, creating job opportunities and demands for people in the tech space. The open jobs is a reflection of the rapid speed of the changing demand for skills needed in technology for our modern economy.

  • Why can’t employers find talent?

It’s quite simple – they aren’t enough people trained in the skills employers have the most demand for.

Open tech job drivers: Software developer, computer systems engineer demand up 70%

  • What do people wanting a better job need to do to get one?

People need to pay attention to the open jobs and figure out where their resume and skills have gaps. There are many ways to get trained in web and software development or related skills these days. Tech boot camps, part-time classes, continuing education with the community college system are all great ways to gain the skills.

I always remind people that gaining those skills is just the beginning, folks also need to build a network in the respective field they want to break into. Every few years, we should all be looking at what skills are needed to continue advancing and keeping pace with the changes to the economy.

Here’s top 10 most in-demand ‘hard skills’ for high-tech jobs in NC

  • Are you seeing growth in demand for retraining? 

We have worked with several local companies who have invested in retraining their workers to meet the needs of their open tech jobs. The only way employers will fill the talent gap is through acknowledging that they have to take ownership and make investments in training their own workforce.

Economist: Why North Carolina has so many open high-tech jobs – and how to get one