Warner said Boeing’s support is great news, not only for Virginia Tech but also for the entire country.
“The U.S. must maintain international leadership in advancing technology, and talent is our most critical resource,” U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said in the release. “It’s exciting to see a world-class company like Boeing invest in a program that will help bolster the depth of our nation’s tech talent and drive economic growth in the Washington, D.C., region.”
Nationally, computer science and information technology fields were projected to add 531,200 jobs from 2019 to 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To help meet this demand, the state has committed to creating 31,000 new computer science and computer engineering graduates over 20 years through its Tech Talent Investment Program agreements with 11 universities, according to the release.
The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, which will anchor a 65-acre innovation district in Alexandria, is a major component of Virginia Tech’s commitment to that program.
Lance Collins, vice president and executive director of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, aims to develop the most diverse graduate technology program in the country.
“We launched this campus with an ambitious vision to diversify the talent in high-tech fields,” Collins said in the release. “It takes partners like Boeing to help us achieve such big goals. This gift allows us to begin initiatives now that would otherwise take years to start. We are honored to receive this record gift, and we look forward to delivering on what it has empowered us to do.”
