“Working with our local IT
community, including many of
those who were instrumental in
bringing this program to Allegany
County, sets this program apart.
Envisioning career paths can be
a challenge for students. But
when students can ‘see it to be
it’ through regular, personal
interactions with tech professionals,
it builds more than skills and
competencies. It builds our region’s
future,” said Melissa Kaye, P-TECH
coordinator for Allegany County
Public Schools.
Two years into their high
school experience, Blankenship
and Robertson entered Michael
Dingan’s classroom within the
Center for Career and Technical
Education (CCTE). Dingan, a
Cisco IT & Networking Academy
instructor, knew the students
tangentially through group events
like P-TECH breakfasts. That quickly
changed as he watched them grow
in their skills and capabilities.
In addition to coursework,
Dignan’s students act as an
in-house IT Department for the
CCTE, repairing all computer-related
issues. It’s a chance for students
to gain customer service and real
world experience troubleshooting
and managing issues with laptops,
phones, printers, and other
technology. Dignan’s students
completed more than 300 IT work
orders last year. This is where he
saw Blankenship and Robertson
really shine.
“They learned that IT is a team
effort and how to work as one
department,”explained Dingan.
“What I’ve seen is that Cody and
Cam have amazing work ethic and
fantastic customer service skills.
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Spring 2021 \ ACCESS ACM 4
Cody
Blankenship
continued on page 5
Editor’s Note:
Few in our region have been more
integral to growing Allegany’s County’s
IT sector than Jonathan Hutcherson,
founder and CEO of Exclamation Labs.
One of the first industry partners to
support ACM’s proposal to establish
the IT Center for Excellence in 2014,
he played a critical role in bringing the
P-TECH program to Allegany County.
Earlier this year, we asked Jonathan to
describe how P-TECH came to be.
The P-TECH program exists because, in
2015, our community came together to
make it happen. The Western Maryland
IT Center of Excellence was the driving
force behind the program, with the
full support of Allegany College of
Maryland, Allegany County Public
Schools, and private sector partners
such as the Western Maryland
Health System now UPMC Western
Maryland, Exclamation Labs, and First
United Bank & Trust.
Early on, it was evident that P-TECH
was designed for implementation in
a more urban/metropolitan setting.
Recognizing the need for an IT talent
pipeline in our region, the Cumberland
Economic Development Corporation,
along with the Allegany County
Chamber of Commerce, worked
closely with our State Delegation and
government relations team to modify
several restrictions in the initial bill
creating P-TECH. These changes would
ensure the success of the program
in a rural environment. At the first
Tech at the Gap Conference in 2016,
Governor Hogan proudly announced
that Allegany County was selected as a
P-TECH participant.
Four years later, this first graduating
class proves that the effort was not
only worthwhile but far exceeds
expectations. Our region is better
poised to attract new businesses and
support those already here, with a
proven source of well-trained talent.
The creation and success of P-TECH
demonstrates that great things happen
when the right people work together.