That was one of the takeaway messages Tuesday during the Technology Association of Georgia’s state of the industry presentation, held within the organization’s Greater Augusta downtown headquarters at theClubhou.se, the city’s hub for innovators and tech entrepreneurs.

TAG President and CEO Tino Mantella spoke of the bright spots seen last year by the state’s 20,000 tech-driven companies, but also of the challenges moving forward with more than 211,000 jobs expected to open within the industry by 2018. There are 3,500 such jobs in Georgia that need to be filled, he said.

“We’re going to need more people in this industry,” Mantella said. “The universities and schools are going to really have to be on their toes to stay up with what the companies are going to need.”

Between 2010 and 2020, the Georgia Department of Labor predicts the number of jobs in science, technology, engineering and math-related fields will increase by more than 22,000 positions from the previous decade.

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