It’s no secret in the Las Vegas technology scene: It’s difficult to find qualified candidates for top engineering jobs. That was confirmed in a Metropolitan Policy Program and Brookings Mountain West study released today titled, “Cracking the Code on STEM: A People Strategy for Nevada’s Economy."

Nevada has the STEM jobs, but many Nevadans don’t have the skill or education to land them. That’s the conclusion of a Metropolitan Policy Program and Brookings Mountain West study, being released today, titled “Cracking the Code on STEM: A People Strategy for Nevada’s Economy.”

How do you get ahead of the state’s shortage of qualified STEM workers? Insiders say there are two key ingredients: marketing and better education.

Damien Patton has big plans for his Las Vegas operation.

The founder and CEO of Banjo, a company that develops social-media apps, opened an office here in 2013 to go with the Silicon Valley branch he launched in 2011. His goal: To build two locations with 80 to 90 workers each, with as many as 30 engineers in Las Vegas alone.