Editor’s note: Russ Munisteri is a cybersecurity expert and Assistant Director of Education at MyComputerCareer.

RALEIGH – Apple has officially announced their plans to build a new campus and engineering hub in Research Triangle Park, bringing thousands of tech/IT jobs to The Triangle. But, how will the move shape the local talent market?

The expansion comes at a time of fierce demand for computer programmers, mobile app developers, data scientists and cybersecurity experts. Tech employment in North Carolina has grown 40 percent in the last five years.

And while the demand for tech talent already outweighs the supply, this move will create new long-term job opportunities in the community.

What Apple’s campus means for the tech workforce in the Triangle area

With Apple coming to the Research Triangle Park, this presents a great opportunity for the technology industry. Apple is bringing cutting-edge technology to the area, so that broadens the horizon for tech-driven personnel. Some of those benefits include:

  • Advanced opportunities for those that are seeking career advancement.
  • Various IT opportunities for those that are seeking to enter the industry.
  • With smaller businesses in the surrounding area, employment benefit packages may become more competitive.
  • Technical school student enrollment increases.
  • Professional development with IT certifications.
  • Apple will invest a tremendous amount of money in education to prepare students for the latest technologies.

Major tech boom in the region

Apple’s decision to reside in Wake County should generate a boom for the region. In the years ahead, the region will continue to see high-tech job growth. Apple’s $1 billion investment in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, silicon engineering (reaction to the global semiconductor shortage), and  5G technologies should have a trickle-down effect with world-wide technologists looking to relocate and/or invest in Apple or in the surrounding area.

Once hiring begins and people start filling in the job roles, I do predict Apple will work closely with the United States government in developing advanced technologies for our national security defenses. Cities can foster a tech community that may attract an Apple, but it also leads to a rich tech ecosystem where startups can prosper. On top of that, we’ll also see housing, retail and restaurant industries benefiting from Apple’s investment and expansion.

 Ensure a tech talent pipeline

We expect cities to continue investing in innovation in order to meet the incredible demand for tech talent in 2021 and for the foreseeable future. And of course, developing tech talent requires training opportunities. Technical schools need to educate students in various ways to be successful. Students will need to develop the skills necessary to permanently and positively change their lives and futures by attaining financially rewarding and personally fulfilling careers in Information Technology.

With today’s IT demand so high, schooling needs to instill rigorous programs which surround a variety of industry standard certifications, such as CompTIA, Cisco, EC-Council, Microsoft and LPI Linux. Soft skills, such as interviewing and communication.

Local startups can also benefit from the rich pool of available tech talent in response to Apple’s arrival. Students entering computer science programs, and bootcamp grads alike, can hone their craft at a North Carolina startup, leading to new startups emerging with this influx of tech talent.

With this being Apple’s first East Coast campus, it marks an important milestone that strengthens the state’s position as a tech hub and digital literacy leader. Based on current tech employment trends, all cities should invest in tech even without an Apple as an incentive. Overall, we’re excited to see Apple’s impact on the tech community in the Triangle area.

About MyComputerCareer

MyComputerCareer is an accredited technical school, with classes online and on-campus, that provides hands-on Information Technology training, certifications and job placement in as little as seven months.  Founded in 2007, the school boasts eight campuses in Texas, North Carolina, Indiana and Ohio, with its headquarters in Holly Springs, North Carolina. MyComputerCareer employs more than 700 staff and instructors – and graduates thousands of students every year. For more information, call (866) 606-6922 or visit www.mycomputercareer.edu.

About Russ Munisteri, CISSP:

An information technology professional, trainer and academic director, Russ Munisteri has a proven success of planning and executing training programs based on CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, Linux, and cybersecurity certification requirements, organizing and presenting curriculum, training instructors, answering questions, providing feedback, and evaluating student and program effectiveness. Committed to fostering positive interpersonal and intercultural communication within the classroom and IT business environments. He’s currently Assistant Director of Education at MyComputerCareer, an accredited online and in-campus technical college that provides hands-on Information Technology training, certifications and job placement in as little as seven months.