USC and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina partnered with IBM in December 2008 to form the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management. The Consortium was formed in part to encourage young people to learn the skills needed to manage enterprise systems, large-scale computers that process high volume transactions. Since its inception, numerous other corporate and educational supporters have become involved, and the mission has expanded to include all aspects of computer science, engineering and technology. In January 2011, the Consortium rebranded itself to IT-oLogy. Today, IT-oLogy is a 501(c)(3) organization located in Columbia, South Carolina that is dedicated to growing the IT talent pipeline, fostering economic and workforce development and advancing the IT profession.
IT-oLogy’s mission is to attract, educate, grow and retain future IT talent to address the IT skills challenges that South Carolina faces with the hope of further diversifying and growing the IT talent pipeline. We do this through innovative, interactive, high-quality programs designed for K-12 and college students, career changers, veterans and IT professionals with an overall goal to develop the “Whole IT Professional.”
Through this mission, IT-oLogy serves the community through tech and computing courses for students of all ages. They know that to change the demographics of employees in the IT workforce, access and exposure to courses needs to start at a very early age.
For this reason, the youngest learners can begin working with logical thinking and tech concepts with IT-oLogy at just four years old. The program offerings continue through a spectrum of programmatic offerings that range from four years old to adulthood for those looking to enter or re-enter the workforce.
By providing these programs, IT-oLogy is actively working to educate, develop and retain IT talent in South Carolina, addressing the IT skills crisis and supporting the state’s economic growth. The organization’s efforts benefit individuals by providing career opportunities, families by offering educational resources, and the community by fostering a skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of the digital economy.
While IT-oLogy has had tremendous support throughout the years from a wide range of community members, there have been several key members that have directly impacted the success of the organization. Without them, the strategic planning and adaptation to the changing ecosystem surrounding IT-oLogy would have been much more difficult to achieve. IT-oLogy wants to provide a resounding thank you to these community members: Steve Wiggins, Lola Jordan, Terry Floyd, Reggie Miller, Joy Brown, Blake Coleman, Renee Connolly, Stacy Carlos and in loving memory, Tammy Mainwaring.
Connect with us today to learn more about our K-12 and professional development programs!
