Boeing partners with the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, VA, making a $50 million multiyear commitment in order to help bring about Virginia Tech’s vision of creating the most diverse graduate technology campus in the U.S. The $50 million from Boeing will support student scholarships and faculty and research positions. Additionally, it will fund K-12 STEM pathway programs in underserved communities.
“We are extremely grateful to Boeing for this extraordinarily generous show of support,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said. “This is a milestone moment in our university’s history, and it will propel our work to help establish the greater Washington, D.C., area as the world’s next major tech hub.”
“Virginia Tech has a bold and unique vision to unlock the power of diversity to solve the world’s most pressing problems through technology, and we are proud to help make that vision a reality,” said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun, a Virginia Tech alumnus. “Boeing is dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion, both within our company and in our communities, and we look forward to partnering with Virginia Tech to build a robust and diverse STEM talent pipeline to drive the future of aerospace.”
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) points out that advancing technology begins with the talent behind it. It’s important to bolster talent – starting with education opportunities. Whether you’re up for a graduate degree or pursuing a certification, pursuing education opportunities can be a key move in career advancement.
Contract Opportunities to Watch
| Akima | Akima announced that its subsidiary, RiverTech, an SBA certified 8(a) Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), has been awarded a task order to provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) with support to enhance its data analysis and reporting under the One Acquisition Solutions for Integrated Services (OASIS) Small Business contract vehicle. The task order has a 5-year period of performance and a total contract value of approximately $4.4 million, if all options are exercised.
“Akima is proud to support FEMA in working to leverage data to improve our national preparedness and resilience,” said Barry Smallwood, President of Akima’s Emerging Markets Group. “This award demonstrates Akima’s ability to help our customers implement next-generation technologies in ways that best align to their mission requirements.” Under the task order, RiverTech will provide data analytics, data visualization, and data reporting capabilities to allow FEMA decision-makers to better manage its portfolio of diverse grant programs, which help states and localities better prepare for and respond to disasters and other emergencies. The company will also assist with the creation of a communications sharing environment. |
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Key Employer in the Cleared Industry
| Leidos | Growth is only possible when there have been successful leaders at the helm over the years, and Leidos continues to have leaders that put the organization on the trajectory of growth and success. Ready to join?
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Cleared Job of the Week
| Quantum Computing | From Booz Allen to The Georgia Tech Research Institute to AWS, cleared positions in quantum computing continue to increase. The emerging field uses physics to solve problems that your average computer can’t solve. In the aerospace and defense industry, big data, AI, data encryption, and quantum computing play a critical role. While you can start out building your skills with a bachelor’s degree in physics or computer science, it’s only the beginning. You’ll need to add at least a master’s degree, but if your eye is on a research role, plan for a doctorate as well.
Internships with companies like Microsoft or working on open source software development can get you noticed and in the door. Although quantum computing requires upfront education and extra effort to get the proven skills, the world is continuing to invest in the technology more every year. With the U.S. defense industry working proactively and reactively to other nations around the world, they need qualified and cleared candidates to meet the needs. |
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Growth Opportunities
Serco Inc., a world leading service company with multiple contracts supporting federal, state, and local governments, recently acquired Whitney, Bradley & Brown, Inc. (WBB). The acquisition strengthens Serco’s platform in the DoD, bringing about 1,000 new team members and over 200 subject matter experts (SMEs). Experts from WBB will add to Serco’s existing capabilities in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, and cyber consulting. The additional revenue and joint pipeline opportunities further strengthen Serco’s position in the industry.
“We are happy to welcome the team from WBB aboard and incredibly excited about the scope of what we can now offer to clients across the Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Department of Homeland Security and other strategic accounts,” said Dave Dacquino, Chairman and CEO of Serco Inc. “Just as the naval system’s business of Alion joined Serco in 2019 to transform our relationship with the Navy, the expertise of this team makes us a highly credible provider of data-driven technology solutions across the full lifecycle. Our experience of working with their leadership team through the acquisition process has only reinforced the deeply shared cultural values between our two organizations and the commitment to quality.”
Robert Olsen, former CEO of WBB and now Senior Vice President of the new Serco business unit, commented: “We are very happy to be joining Serco, as the synergies between the combined two companies will benefit the business, our employees, and our customers. We are extremely excited about what we will be able to do working together to address many of our government’s most pressing technological, organizational, program, and financial challenges.”
