The Close It Summit 2015 Connects Edu-tech Business Leaders to Advance Competency-based Training, Hiring Across the Country

SALT LAKE CITY – Pluralsight, a global leader in online learning for technology professionals, today announced that its co-founder and CEO Aaron Skonnard will be the opening keynote speaker during The Close It Summit taking place Oct. 13-15 in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday evening, Skonnard will present on the intersection of technology, education and hiring in a session titled “Setting the Stage for Employment Technology in a New Hiring Economy.”

The Close It Summit gathers hundreds of influencers and companies disrupting the training and hiring markets to discuss new methods, technological advances and developments in the education-to-employment space. This year’s conference focuses on two main issues: demand-driven models to advance competency-based training and employment, and disruptive technologies that are bridging the gap between supply and demand.

According to Code.org, an estimated one million computer science jobs across the country will be left vacant by 2020. With a growing collection of more than 4,500 tech courses authored by industry experts, Pluralsight directly addresses this gap by providing technology professionals with a learning platform that delivers hands-on, practical training for the most in-demand and understaffed jobs of today.

"Pluralsight is committed to democratizing professional technology learning and I hope to elevate the conversation and drive real change in how we as a society learn and hire,” said Skonnard. “Tech skills have a half-life of just two years, and we recognize the need to work with industry leaders – like the brilliant minds that will be in attendance at The Close It Summit – to help people develop relevant skills, keep them sharp and apply them in evolving careers.”

Pluralsight has significantly expanded its platform in recent years to provide a robust, end-to-end online learning solution for tech pros that encompasses training, assessments and online mentoring. In addition to acquiring seven companies in two years, Pluralsight has also expanded its course offering into design and engineering to help meet the needs of its growing global network of three million learners. 

In its third year, The Close It Summit is presented by Innovate+Educate, a non- profit organization dedicated to implementing research-based strategies to close the national skills gap and bridge the opportunity divide. Global Silicon Valley Capital, LeadersUp and the National Association of Workforce Boards are organizing partners for the summit.

More information about The Close It Summit can be found at closeit.org.