President Barack Obama rolled out an initiative to help close the technological skills gap in America and bolster the skilled workforce of more than 20 regions across the country. The program, called TechHire, will unite city leaders and employers to address the needs of software developers, cybersecurity firms, and technology engineers. "[The program is about] working together as a community to help solve and address the talent gap problem," said Chief Executive Bryan Huddleston of the Nashville Technology Council. Nationally, the tech field has an estimated 500,000 job openings, and many companies have found that there is a glaring lack of qualified candidates to fill these positions. The administration’s plan is for universities and community colleges to provide training, but the plan will also rely on high-tech third-party training academies that have entered into partnerships with municipalities to train workers and place them in jobs. Under the plan, the federal government would provide financial assistance to help local governments facilitate the training of high-tech workers. As of yet, the amount of assistance remains unspecified. "[We are] letting students know, or someone who is a displaced worker know, there is a great career in technology, and you don't have to have a PhD to get it," Huddleston said.