By Kathy McAuliffe
April 4, 2017
On January 26, 2017, Bruce Rauner, Governor of the State of Illinois proclaimed April 2017 as Information Technology Month in Illinois. This information and a copy of the declaration were provided to the DuPage County Workforce Development Division by CompTIA, the world’s largest IT industry association, based in Downers Grove. CompTIA worked with Governor Rauner on preparation of this directive for several months.
The designation of April as IT Month in Illinois celebrates the important IT work being done in the state, and is also meant to encourage communities and schools to explore IT as a contributor to the economy and workforce, helping students to understand the growing opportunities in both technology and the workforce.
Rauner’s proclamation states that the IT industry contributes an estimated 5.3 percent annually to the Illinois economy, according to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), and employs more than 234,000 individuals across Illinois at an average yearly salary of $95,062. It also states that the technology industry is projected to see an increase of more than 30,000 jobs by the year 2025, including new types of jobs that don’t yet exist, due to continuing technology development.
