“Where is here?” you ask? Florida! More specifically the I-4 corridor. Even more specifically, the Tampa Bay, Clearwater and St. Petersburg areas to be exact. We are very fortunate to be located in the heart of one of the fastest growing technology regions in the country. What does this do for Data Age? It enables us to tap into a pipeline of nearly 10 million workers, 12 public universities, numerous private colleges and universities, and a robust network of technical institutions, which equates to hundreds of campuses across the state. This in turn allows us the opportunity to bring in some of the best talent available to help us continue our position as the #1 provider of software in our space.
About a year ago I heard this word “Tech Talent Clustering” when referring to the I-4 corridor and I immediately became intrigued with the term and how it impacts the Data Age team. To my excitement, they were referencing the future of the area’s tech talent and the five major factors creating an ideal talent pool. Although this region has all major factors I believe the quality of team members we have at Data Age are effected by the first three they discussed. The first point they addressed was the Millennial population growth and the speed-of-light rate at which Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are growing. In fact, NerdWallet listed the Tampa Bay and Clearwater areas as “two of the top three destinations in Florida for Millennials seeking IT positions.” If you have the ocean they will come. “Waterfront and ocean living plays a key role in the Millennial life style and we have it.”
Within the next two points they mentioned, one is ultimately effected by the other. Our local IT centric university programs are turning out talented prospects at a record pace. One point that caught my attention was that the University of South Florida, which is just 15 miles from Data Age, is providing the IT industry in this area nearly 5,000 professionals annually. WOW! That’s impact in the community. That fact leads to the second part of this point. It shows that local graduates are staying in Florida and in fact staying in the I-4 corridor. The Tampa EDC stated that “66% of the University of South Florida (USF) alumni are staying in Florida and 46% of USF graduates who work in IT are employed here.” With all of these forces in motion, the future of Technology in the Tampa metro area and Data Age Business Systems looks as bright as ever.
What does all this mean for Data Age and the PawnMaster community you ask? It means quality! Quality in the product, in the organization, the workforce, and the service. This High Tech Corridor allows us the ability to hire the best possible team, who in turn can provide you with the best possible product to operate your business. It serves us the opportunity to provide you with an educated, talented, and diverse workforce eager to change the world and be an advocate for your business.
