ITA Expands Programming Skills Competition to Drive Tech Talent to Chicago

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - March 07, 2017) - The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) announced today it has added a teaser to its annual Tech Challenge program to align with Governor Rauner's recent proclamation that April is Information Technology Month in Illinois. Tech Challenge is a programming and coding skills competition focused on developing and driving tech talent to Chicago. ITA has been successfully executing the Tech Challenge program at the university level each fall for the past seven years.

In 2016, nearly 800 students from 48 universities participated in the competition. The top 50 students had the opportunity to compete for over $12,000 worth of prizes and interview with several Chicago technology firms.

Building on the success of the fall program, ITA partnered with Bosch to introduce a "teaser" challenge, which will launch in April. University students through the United States will be able to participate virtually between April 3^rd at 9:00 am CST and April 14^th at 5:00 pm CST.

"We know that there is a talent gap in Chicago," said Trisha Degg, director of talent programs at ITA. "Expanding our Tech Challenge program to provide students additional opportunity to practice their skills while simultaneously exposing them to the great tech scene in Chicago is a win-win."

The three students with the highest scores will be announced on April 17^th and will each win a $1000 cash prize. They will also be invited to the ITA's Tech Summit in May to be recognized. Students who are interested can register to receive reminders and other communication before the challenge opens.

About the Illinois Technology Association
The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) scales Illinois tech companies. With innovative resources that connect members to the local tech ecosystem, build their talent networks and create visibility for their brands, ITA is growing the local tech community. Founded in 2005 and supporting 500+ growth and late stage tech companies, ITA has a rich history of driving business forward. For more information, visit illinoistech.org, follow @ITAbuzz on Twitter or find us on LinkedIn.