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Amazon claims not enough technology workers for second HQ in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Amazon officials released why the company did not want to put its second headquarters in Charlotte.

LINK: Amazon Feedback

Missing out on Amazon's second headquarters, and 50,000 jobs, can be chalked up to a marketing mishap.

North Carolina Technological Association

On Monday night, Charlotte Regional Partnership sent Channel 9 the explanation, which gave Charlotte high marks in several areas, including the overall business climate.

The Raleigh area made the final list of prospective cities.

Amazon claims Charlotte doesn't have a big enough pool of technology workers. Experts told Channel 9 that may be just a perception.

Emily Young, with the North Carolina Technology Association, helps companies find qualified job seekers and tracks the growth of tech jobs in the state.

“People tend to forget we've got these large financial services companies that have gigantic technology teams in place, and we have that talent here. It just might not be seen at surface level,” Young said.

Information technology jobs in the Charlotte area grew more than 19 percent in the last year and the positions tend to be well paid.

Young said job seekers who want to get into the IT field don't necessarily need a college degree because there are special training programs to help them keep up with the ever-evolving field.

Charlotte is home to the state's largest computing college, at UNC Charlotte, which is also one of the largest in the nation.

“Our enrollment has been growing exponentially,” said Fatma Mili, dean of UNC Charlotte College of Computing & Informatics.

The size of the college's computer and technology programs has doubled in the past 10 years.

Some students start internships during their freshman year, another example of the industry demand.

“Each one of our students gets multiple offers before they graduate,” Mili said.

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