Monday, March 31, 2003

Community

How We See It: Look to the kids for summer tech help

Shortly after receiving a glowing client testimonial, Helen Chan stood flanked by colleagues who assist on consulting assignments and admitted that not that long ago she was a so-so student, doing only what was necessary to get by at Boston's John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. That changed, she said, when she fell in with the crowd at TechBoston and her studies turned in a whole new direction.

Chan is now a project manager with TechBoston's consulting practice, a group of kids from across the city who are employed by companies to tackle vexing problems. Last week she and several others were on hand for a reception to introduce potential TechBoston interns to local business leaders.

Neil Sullivan, executive director of the Private Industry Council, said he spent a frustrating four years developing a Web site with the help of other consultants but now is excited with the one the council is about to unveil, thanks to Helen and her team.

Sullivan and other employers are not the only ones finding value in their dealings with TechBoston. Helen, for instance, told the crowd she will be attending a "pretty good school" next fall, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

While businesses feel the effects of a recession, it is a depression for teen-agers, Sullivan noted. The unemployment rate for young adults has never been higher, he said.

TechBoston is not the only source of kids with valuable talents and skills; many communities have developed such programs through their schools and other community organizations. As the summer months approach, business leaders should take stock and see if they can't find room on their payrolls to take a kid in and put 'em to work.

With luck and a little coaching, come September they will have a project completed, and more important they will have helped sow the seeds for a more competitive workforce down the road.

(Companies interested in a TechBoston intern should contact Jonathan Greeley at 617-593-8163. Outside of Boston, contact Mass High Tech and we'll do our best to put you in contact with an organization in your area.)