TechEngage is a nonprofit organization that was founded in January 2003 to provide training to North Carolina residents who are unemployed or working outside their area of technical expertise. This year's conference has been extended to include residents outside North Carolina. Professional instructors donate their time to provide training in many technical and IT marketing areas. "TechEngage has proved itself a wonderful resource that delivers value and contributes to the success of the community," said Connie Marthinsen, co- founder of TechEngage and a technical training specialist with SAS University, the company's employee development department. "I am very proud of SAS' support and participation and expect great things for future conferences." The TechEngage conference has enjoyed much success in its short history, helping many participants secure jobs in the IT industry. One such individual is Elizabeth Ceranowski, who now works at SAS. "After attending TechEngage and taking relevant classes, I took and passed the SAS certification exam and now have my dream job as a technical trainer at SAS," said Ceranowski, who will be one of the instructors for this year's conference. N.C. State's technology-focused College of Management will again host the TechEngage conference in Nelson Hall. The building has state-of-the-art teaching and learning spaces, including seven executive classrooms with laptop connections at every desk. "This is an excellent opportunity for us to host technology and business professionals, and for them to learn more about our academic programs and capabilities," said college spokeswoman Sara Frisch. "TechEngage allows us to fulfill our mission of engaging the community." "SAS has always been dedicated to the continued development of the IT industry in North Carolina," said Jeff Chambers, vice president of human resources at SAS. "The TechEngage conference fills a valuable need and contributes to the future of the industry. SAS is pleased to help support an effort that plays such a large part in improving the state's work force."