'TechMania' highlights western Kentucky technology jobs to inspire regional students on February 28

Paducah, KY (02/26/2019) — Murray State University will once again partner with West Kentucky Community and Technical College to sponsor "TechMania" at WK&T Technology Park. WK&T's facility is comprised of the buildings formerly housing Mid-Continent University and located on U.S. Highway 45, just north of Mayfield. TechMania takes place Thursday, February 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Local high schools throughout the area are taking as many as 20 participants each to compete in simulated technology events.

Participating high schools include Ballard, McCracken, Graves, Marshall, Hickman, Fulton, Carlisle, Crittenden and Trigg counties as well as Paducah Tilghman, Fulton City, Mayfield, and Murray.

"Based on real-world situations, students will build a network, similar to setting up a small business," said WKCTC information technology professor John Vos. "In each group's individual scenario, students will build computers, connect them to a network, determine the Internet Protocol addressing scheme, set up a webserver, build a website and configure a server, switches, and routers."

Michael Ramage, director of the center for telecommunication systems management at Murray State agreed.

"Area businesses are interested in TechMania, because many regional businesses find it very challenging to find enough employees at their needed level of skill," said Ramage. "Schools see it as an opportunity to show students that technology skills of various kinds are valued work skills here in western Kentucky."

Partnering organizations through a donation of time, equipment or funding the event are AT&T; Computer Services, Inc.; CFSB; DEVsource; GEAR UP Grant; ITC3; Kalleo Technologies, Systems Solutions, Inc.; SmartPath Technologies; the Technology of West Kentucky; and West Kentucky Workforce Development.

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