April Declared Information Technology Month in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Governor Bruce Rauner declared April 2017 as Information Technology Month in Illinois to celebrate the important work being done by IT professionals statewide and to encourage Illinois students to understand the growing opportunities in IT and the workforce.

The IT industry continues to grow at a rapid rate in Illinois, contributing an estimated 5.3 percent to the state's economy, according to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). The technology industry employs more than 234,000 in Illinois, with an average yearly salary of more than $95,000. Illinois expects to add another 30,000 tech jobs by 2025, making it necessary to continue to develop a pipeline of IT talent in the state.

Technology is a key aspect of Governor Rauner's administration and was demonstrated by the establishment of the Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) on January 25, 2016 through Executive Order 2016-01. DoIT provides an enterprise approach to IT services for the state and is focused on providing Illinois residents with improved interaction points for state information and services.

"We are committed to improving technology for the State of Illinois and have made great strides during our first year as an agency," said Hardik Bhatt, DoIT Secretary Designate & Chief Digital Officer. "The most recent Digital States Survey from the Center for Digital Government recognized our progress by moving Illinois from the bottom fourth to the top third of all states for technology effectiveness and utilization in government."

Illinois is commemorating Information Technology Month by hosting a month of activities, events and announcements. More specifics on the agency and events can be found at DoIT.illinois.gov.