At the end of 2016, reports showed S.C. had 6,424 open jobs in its IT sector. Of 500 surveyed employers, 91% said they had 1-5 open positions that would take ~6 months to fill, and 57% said their open positions would only increase in the next 5 years. The kicker: only ~500 people graduated with a computer science degree in 2015.

Why aren’t people interested in IT careers? ➡️ Common misconceptions about what exactly an IT career is, leading to a lack of interest (starting at a young age). Many employers also find it difficult to attract qualified candidates, especially women + minorities.

What are IT professional doing to increase interest? ➡️ Some organizations – like Columbia-based nonprofit It-oLogy – are starting programs to spur interest in IT careers from as early as elementary school. It-oLogy’s Innovation Challenge is a statewide competition for grades 3-12, and its Aspirations in Computing awards recognizes high school girls with exceptional tech skills.

Why is an IT career cool? ➡️ It pays. The average tech wage in S.C. is $76,589, vs. the avg. mean wage (in all industries) in S.C. last year, $41,530. IT jobs can also be more flexible, remote + may appeal well to women juggling motherhood + their careers.

3 min read / Columbia Business Report