SOREDI and Partners Host Rogue Tech Tour

On Friday, October 28, from 10 am to 4:30 pm, approximately 55 students from Oregon Institute of Technology and Klamath Community College in Klamath Falls, Rogue Community College in Medford and Southern Oregon University in Ashland will attend a tour of technology-based businesses, hosted by SOREDI, Rogue Workforce Partnership and the Rogue Tech Collective.

The aim of this Rogue Tech Tour is to introduce students to companies in the region who offer local tech positions. The students will visit PLEXIS Healthcare Systems, Inc in Ashland, where they will also meet representatives of Ashland tech companies, Project A,  InfoStructure, and FlowJo.  In Medford, they will visit Riders Domain (formerly JakeWilson.com) where they will meet Harry & David, Fire Mountain Gems, RenTec Direct and Global Caché representatives.  People’s Bank, Harry & David and Travel Medford provided prizes for drawings to be held at the end of the tour.  The days’ activities also include lunch at Zeal and a walking tour of tech companies in downtown Medford including a visit to the corporate office of Lithia Motors.

SOREDI and the Rogue Workforce Partnership often work closely in attempts to connect companies with available workers who can meet their needs. In this case, there is a great demand for technology skills in the region. Many local tech positions offer an entry-level annual salary of $50,000, which is above the average wage for the region. Students graduating with technology skills may not be aware that there are many established companies offering these positions locally. In this case, local coding firms, Zeal and CBT Nuggets have come alongside these agencies to provide vision and advice regarding the Rogue Tech Tour.

“Many seniors from these schools have already been hired, so this awareness tour is mainly for juniors, or even underclassmen who want to go into these fields,” says Colleen Padilla, Executive Director of SOREDI. “We want them to know that these positions are available, so they can plan on staying here and growing into their careers, instead of feeling compelled to move away. It is our hope that these companies can connect with them, offering internships, apprenticeships, maybe even part-time positions while they are still in school, so they can make a swift transition when they graduate. When local companies like Zeal and CBT Nuggets actually participate in the planning and execution of these activities, it really helps us understand the workforce needs of similar companies in the region.”

Local tech companies who wish to participate in future awareness tours or industry specific networking events should contact SOREDI by calling 541-779-8946.

About SOREDI: SOREDI is a private, membership-based, non-profit organization, governed by a board of directors. Its seven-person staff is charged with local business expansion and new business recruitment efforts, financial assistance to start-up companies through its business loan fund, and management of Enterprise Zones in Jackson and Josephine Counties. The agency was formed as a regional economic development agency in 1987. Learn more at https://soredi.org.