Second Rogue Tech Tour Planned by SOREDI and Partners

On Friday, April 13, from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, students from Oregon Institute of Technology and Klamath Community College will join students from Rogue Community College in Medford and Southern Oregon University for an informative day of meetings with local technology-savvy companies in Medford. Hosts, SOREDI, Rogue Workforce Partnership, and the Rogue Tech Collective are grateful for corporate sponsors, CORE Business Services, Infostructure, Shasta Networks, Plexis Healthcare Systems, CBT Nuggets, Lifeline Computer Solutions, RenTec Direct, Linx Technologies, Rogue Valley MicroDevices, Project A, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and ProCare Software.

The purpose of this Rogue Tech Tour is to introduce students in technology-related fields to potential employment opportunities with technology-related companies. The day begins at the Million Air Building in Medford, where students will meet Scott Anderson, of CORE Business Services. After some introductions, the students will be able to meet multiple companies for brief “table talks” in an exhibit-like atmosphere. Lunch will follow, courtesy of CORE Business Services. Students will then be transported to downtown Medford, where they will participate in a walking tour of downtown technology companies, beginning at Zeal. Students interested in the field of “embedded systems” will be able to meet with a variety of relevant companies at Rogue Community College. Companies interested in meeting with these students are invited to join this session. Contact kathy@soredi.org for participation information.

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 Southern Oregon. Many local tech positions offer an entry-level annual salary of $50,000, which is above the average wage for our two-county region. Students graduating with technology skills may not be aware that there are many established companies offering these positions locally.

Scott Alexander, DevOps Engineer at coding firm, CBT Nuggets says, “The tech companies in Southern Oregon each have unique dynamics that you only experience when you step inside their doors and meet face-to-face with the people who own or manage the company.” Alexander continues, “Having local students learn more about a company’s structure and culture allows them to have that experience and first hand, allows them to experience it directly. This experience may influence where they choose to live and work. It’s an experience that can’t be matched by any traditional job fair.”

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

About SOREDI: SOREDI is a private, membership-based, non-profit organization, governed by a board of directors. Its eight-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.