On December 17, 2019, ACT | The App Association visited Edmund’s Oast, a Charleston, South Carolina based brewery, to engage with developers about the local tech community, South Carolina’s app economy, and general trends and opportunities for tech businesses. Through this event we met Kaity Miller of Level Up Coding Institute. Below, Kaity discusses the role the inception of platforms has played in the overall app economy and the ways coding programs like Level Up harness the tools provided by platforms to teach and empower developers and students.
My first foray into tech began just a few short years ago, when I found myself desperate for a career change. I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, but since taking that leap of faith and joining the team at a coding bootcamp called The Iron Yard, I quickly knew there was no turning back. The energy and the excitement and growth of tech here in Charleston had sunk its claws in me! I’ve now spent years digging into the needs of local employers and the opportunities that can await students in the technology workforce and the app economy. In November of 2017, ECPI University invited me to join their team where I launched a brand-new tech education program in here Charleston, the Level Up Coding Institute.
Home to more than 300 technology companies that employ 11,000 individuals, Charleston—otherwise known as “Silicon Harbor”—is growing daily. Despite Charleston becoming an east-coast tech hub, our local workforce still struggles and has trouble keeping up with this growth due to lack of technical skills and limited educational options. In South Carolina alone, there are roughly 3,658 unfilled computing jobs, and when you consider that there is a projected 4 percent growth of computing jobs by 2024, we can expect for that number to continue to rise.
The sudden tech boom is forcing many local companies to bring in talent from outside of the Charleston area or the state of South Carolina altogether. This is an absolute travesty when we have individuals here who have the desire and the motivation to fill these roles, but simply don’t know where to start. When you look at the growing need for talent in Charleston coupled with the rich app ecosystem, it is clear that something has to be done, and so, Level Up Coding was born.
Level Up Coding Institute is a 16-week accelerated software development program with the sole purpose of giving students the hands-on, real-world training they need to begin a new career in the app economy. We’ve partnered with local tech businesses, from start-ups to enterprise level, to ensure that we are providing students with skills that can easily transfer to the needs of the workforce. Our goal is to take individuals with little-to-no coding experience and transform them into software developers ready to enter into the workforce and be part of one of the fastest growing tech markets in the country. It’s truly a win-win for our students, local businesses, and the app ecosystem as whole.
We have found that software development boot-camp grads are the perfect fit for small businesses and start-ups. The grit and determination that allowed them to succeed in the fast-paced (often overwhelming) boot-camp environment carries over into the workplace. They are ready to learn, eager to build, and full of ideas. Access to a capable development pool and a variety of community-driven and local government supported resources has become a catalyst for the sudden growth we’ve seen here in Charleston.
That technology boom can also be attributed, in no small part, to the thriving start-up community. The creation of online platforms such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play have significantly lowered the barrier to entrepreneurship in the tech industry. Small businesses and start-ups are now able to contribute and grow the app economy alongside large enterprise level businesses. Platforms have created an accessible market that gives companies of all sizes lower overhead costs, stronger consumer trust, and access to the global market. Charleston, a town of scrappy, ingenious, hard-working entrepreneurs, has seen firsthand the benefits of platforms, and as new tech companies launch with increased regularity, we will continue to create more jobs and opportunities in our community, as well as the global app economy.
Charleston’s continued growth has led to Silicon Harbor being named the number one fastest growing mid-sized metro for IT jobs in the United States, as well as the number one Mid-Sized Metro for Millennials. In addition, Charleston’s IT workforce has grown more than three times faster than the U.S. average since 2010. The growth of cities like Charleston depend on a vibrant workforce, a strong local economy, and a level playing field for companies of all sizes. Thanks to platforms and online marketplaces, that growth will continue, but only if the regulatory environment remains friendly for startups and small tech companies.