Elizabeth Hyman Posts

In this challenging economy, where the unemployment rate remains discouragingly high, IT jobs may be available but must be met by a skilled and ready workforce.  We maintain the Getting America Back to Work (GABTW) Program to provide a comprehensive process for assessing, training, certifying and placing unemployed individuals into entry and mid-level IT technical positions. We work through community colleges and partners for the training component. Funding for the training and certification vou ...

A look at the week of January 17, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel An overwhelming majority of hospitals and many private practices are jumping at the opportunity to register for federal incentive payments for adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health records.  Tech companies are proposing their own economic stimulus – more domestic investment in return for lower taxes.  The U.S. Department of Treasury became the first federal agency to use Amazon We ...

A look at the week of January 10, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the Senate moves forward with efforts to repeal the 1099 provision.  The House is considering legislation to enable foreign students studying science and technology to remain in the U.S. for work following graduation.  Construction began on a new $1.2-billion national cyber center in Utah.  As electronic medical record adoption gains steam, the Department of Health & Human Services plans ...

A look at the week of January 3, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the Defense Department is launching a program to exchange employees with private sector contractors in order to increase workers’ experience and knowledge of the cybersecurity field.  Registration for the EMR incentive program, developed as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package, opens this week.  Smaller companies plan to expand use of cloud computing technology to take advantage of low ...

A look at the week of December 21, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channelUncertainty surrounding healthcare legislation makes investors wary about IT forecasts in the coming year.  As the government increases its use of cloud computing, the Department of Commerce is calling for a users’ “Bill of Rights” for cloud computing.  New legislation would make the U.S. a more attractive destination for foreign entrepreneurs.Legislative Uncertainty Worries IT Investors – Venture capitalists are bulli ...

A look at the week of December 13, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, questions about medical safety arise as electronic medical records (EMRs) gain traction.  Legislation was introduced in the Senate requiring minimum cybersecurity standards for all government and private sector devices that connect to the Internet.  The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed a list of IT reforms as well as policies to encourage and expedite the adoption of cloud comp ...

Congressman John Kline (R-Minn.) was tapped to the new chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor.  He’s been active with regard to reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act and believes in local control for education.  What does this mean for Workforce Development and Education? Kline has indicated that under his leadership the Committee will focus on four major policy goals:  Giving employers the certainty, flexibility, and freedom to create jobs; Conducting robust oversight ...

Minnesota Congressman John Kline was chosen on December 8th by the House Republican Conference to serve as the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.  What does this mean for workforce development and education? Kline has indicated that under his leadership the Committee will focus on four major policy goals: Giving employers the certainty, flexibility, and freedom to create jobs; Conducting robust oversight of education and workforce programs across the federal government to prote ...

A look at the week of November 29, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channelThis week, the unpopular 1099 reporting requirement was upheld in the Senate.  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a new cybersecurity center aimed at facilitating information sharing between federal and state governments to mitigate cyber risk.  A proposed new bill would allow the DHS to monitor some private networks that it deems critical infrastructure.Repeal of 1099 Unsuccessful — The Senate failed t ...

A look at the week of November 22, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channelThis week, the SBA is cracking down on contractors pretending to be small firms in order to qualify for government deals.  The federal government adopted a new policy requiring agencies to default to cloud-based IT solutions when possible.   Politicians and industry leaders predict favorable tech legislation in 2011.SBA Takes Closer Look At Federal Contractors — The Small Business Administration is stepping up its effo ...