NC State Partners With N.C. Office of Information Technology Services

An agreement between NC State and the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services (OITS) will provide students with real-world learning opportunities and allow state government to develop a pipeline of talent for its IT operations. As the state works to recruit its next generation of information technology leaders, this partnership will team experienced state IT professionals with students from the university’s leading-edge research and technology programs.

Under the agreement OITS will give students the opportunity to enhance their education and skills through internships with the state of North Carolina and provide them with access to multi-tiered, statewide networks and systems. Both students and established information technology workers will benefit from a multi-generational approach to solving today’s IT challenges.

“I’ve spent the last decade recruiting on college campuses and I’m excited about the value students can bring to state government,” said Chris Estes, North Carolina’s chief information officer. “This agreement allows the state to tap into the talents of students who are the technology innovators of the future.”

Collaboration between students, faculty and IT professionals will take place in space provided by the university on NC State’s Centennial Campus and at the state’s new Innovation Center, a testing ground for information technology systems. Members of the NC State faculty will contribute their thought leadership to an exchange of ideas and resources that will advance the state’s information technology capabilities.

“This partnership will help us discover and share each other’s strengths and allow us to offer services and collaborations that benefit us both and ultimately improve information technology throughout North Carolina,” said Dr. Marc Hoit, vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer at NC State.

The first project is already under way at the Innovation Center, where students from NC State’s Department of Computer Science are working to improve the state’s digital presence. The partnership will also help leverage the resources of NC State and its connections to the Research Triangle Park’s technology community in training students for careers in state government and private industry.

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