CA holds solid lead over nation in tech employment, compensation
By Tom Chorneau
Friday, May 24, 2013From the Obama administration down to the local school board, there has perhaps never been a time when so much attention, time and money has been focused on improving student performance in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math.
A new survey on tech employment nationally illustrates why – not that anyone in California needs convincing.
Last year there were nearly six million people employed in technical occupations, earning an average salary of $93,800, almost double the average private sector salary of $47,400 , according to a survey from TechAmerica Foundation, a nonprofit and nonpartisan research group.
In total, the tech section provided an annualized payroll of $558 billion in 2012.
While much of the economy was still shrinking, the tech industry produced a modest 1.1 percent gain with software services leading the way growing by 3.5 percent or almost 64,000 jobs.
Much of that vigor took place in California – which remains the nation’s leader in tech employment boasting more than twice as many tech jobs (968,800) as the next closest rival, Texas (485,600).
After that comes New York with 318,200 tech jobs
Feds offer new grant to improve outcomes for children on SSI
As advocates for the disabled rallied this week in Sacramento on state budget issues, federal officials unveiled a new grant program aimed at improving the educational and employment outcomes of low-income children with disabilities.
Alarmed by the high dropout rates and unemployment among recipients of Supplemental Security Income who are under the age of 23, the Obama administration plans to make available up to $60 million annually to states interested in building new service programs.
Michael Yudin, who oversees special education and rehabilitative services at the department, said in a statement the goal is to “provide strong and effective partnerships with agencies to build capacity to achieve better results and outcomes for child SSI recipients and their families.”
Among the outcomes that the program would hope to address is improving the number of SSI recipients that graduate from high school and are both college and career ready. From there, federal officials are hopeful that more SSI clients will find employment and reduce, over time, their reliance on government assistance.
The SSI program provides cash payments to the elderly and the disabled – including children that have little income or other resources. The monthly maximum award in California this year for a disabled minor child is $773.
A total of 1.3 million children were enrolled in the program last year and received about $9.5 billion in benefits.
Although the program has had no major eligibility changes over the last 10 years, the numbers of children receiving