Entries due November 3 to November 15.

From Dr. Valtorta:

Today's lead story in the Business section of the State is about GM's plan to hire "up to" 10,000 software developers and other IT professionals in the next 3-5 years ("GM to bring computer technology in-house"). This is an Associated Press article by Tom Krisher, bylined Detroit. It is very well written. For comparison, the expected number of jobs in mechanical engineering nationwide for the same period is about the same (cf. BLS Report).

Dr. Buell adds:

10000 jobs over four years (averaging 3 to 5) is 2500 per year. That represents 6.25% of the total estimated production of new graduates, if these were all to be new graduates.

I like this quote from the article:

Experts say it’s also the start of a trend as manufacturers realize that software is among the few things that will set them apart from competitors.

When manufacturing is entirely done by 'robots' (CNC machines, 3D printers, actual robots, etc), then the only thing left for us to do is tell the machines what to do, which is the definition of software: that which tells the machine what to do.

Interested in joining? Attend our next meeting! Thursday, October 11 6:30PM 300 Main Street, Room B201 General Information and Officer Elections Food Provided!

TLDR: The US has high unemployment and lots of job openings at the same time because kids are not choosing STEM majors, especially computer science.

From Helen Fields: This is a GREAT opportunity for select students who are interested in getting a real-world experience with Continental. Please see the information below and please encourage students to appy for this! Applications are due October 1 and students do need a faculty letter of nomination. Nomination letters can be given to the student to submit or emailed to Erin Kitchell (ramaker@mailbox.sc.edu). Selected students will have ALL EXPENSES PAID by Continental. Login to JobMate to learn more and submit your information!

On behalf of the Charleston Defense Contractors Association's (CDCA) Board of Directors, I am pleased to invite your school to participate in 2nd Annual Mobile Application Development Competition that runs from now until Nov. 2nd. The competition is an extension of our association’s educational mission and will run in conjunction with our Sixth Annual Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Government and Industry Summit, 27-30 November 2012 in Charleston, SC. One of the goals of the CDCA is to assist in fostering the next generation of employees in the defense industry – both government and private sector companies. In an effort to promote such continuum, we are offering an opportunity for your school and its students to receive up to $7000 in Scholarships and Awards. This hands-on experience introduces students to the industry and future employment opportunities, promotes teamwork, and encourages technical and creative innovation. We encourage you to inform your students of this excellent opportunity to showcase their skills and creativity before hundreds of potential employers. To take advantage of this opportunity, please print and post the attached flyer and rules for your students. Further information about our organization, the summit, and the competition can be found at www.charlestondca.org. We look forward to receiving entries from your students! Most Sincerely, John Jones CDCA C5ISR Summit Committee

Acalytics is looking for a brilliant student that loves a challenge to work with us on some projects. The ideal candidate will have exposure to machine learning and a strong math background. There are three interesting data sets that we are performing analysis on and could use as much help as we can get. Knowledge of both supervised and unsupervised learning approaches would be awesome! Email info@acalytics.com for more info.

University of South Carolina students with big business ideas stand to win BIG money -- $40,000 in cash and startup support -- this fall in The Proving Ground, the university’s entrepreneurial challenge. The business plan competition, in its third year, has gained momentum with increased student participation and sponsor support. This year’s $40,000 in prizes and startup support, up from $3,000 awarded in previous years, places USC among the top colleges that have business plan competitions. “In only the third year of existence, The Proving Ground has become one of the biggest collegiate business plan competitions in the nation,” said Dean Kress, associate director of the Faber Entrepreneur Center in USC’s Darla Moore School of Business. “We’re anticipating 75 to 100 entries this year.” It’s not just for business students either. The competition is open to all USC undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines, at all eight campuses. Designed to identify and accelerate innovative business ideas – and reward the students who come up with them – the competition is a proving ground for everything from new technologies discovered in the lab to business ideas brainstormed on the back of a napkin, Kress said. Students have until Oct. 21 to submit their business concept. There’s no entry fee, and online information can be found at www.USCProvingGround.com. There students can ask questions, find additional information and have conversations about the competition. Submissions will be evaluated and narrowed to nine finalists by a group of 15 experienced entrepreneurs in three categories: technology, innovation and social impact. Final teams will pitch their business concepts to a panel of judges in a “Shark Tank”-style competition in front of a live audience on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Registered participants will receive a copy of Live Plan, a cloud-based business planning solution from Palo Alto Software. Prizes will include: $15,000 SCRA Technology Ventures Prize for the best innovative technology idea for the marketplace; $10,000 Innovista Innovation Prize for the most innovative approach to a business concept; and $5,000 Maxient Social Impact Prize for the business plan best able to contribute or solve a social or environmental challenge. Winning teams also will be invited into the USC Columbia Technology Incubator’s student program at no cost for six months. Located with other startups in the technology incubator, the winning teams will have office space and the resources to develop their ideas and launch their businesses. Additionally, they will receive professional guidance on intellectual property and licensing from the USC Office of Technology Commercialization and ongoing assessment, consultation and mentoring from the Center for Technology Innovation (CETi) and the USC Faber Entrepreneurship Center. All of the in-kind services are worth more than $10,000. With the backing and collaboration of key sponsors, the competition aims to stimulate the entrepreneurial juices of the USC community. “SCRA Technology Ventures, through its SC Launch Program, has been investing in innovation and advanced technology in South Carolina for many years,” said Bill Mahoney, CEO of SCRA. “We’re excited to work with the state’s next generation of knowledge economy entrepreneurs in partnership with the University of South Carolina.” Students also will have the support to ensure their success. “For students who may be working on a novel technology in the lab or have an innovative approach to addressing tough business, environment, social or other challenges, we want them to know the resources and support are here to help them get their concept to market,” said Don Herriott, director of Innovista Partnerships at USC. The Proving Ground, presented by the Darla Moore School of Business, USC Innovista and CETi, is sponsored in part by USC’s Office of Technology Commercialization and the USC Columbia Technology Incubator, Maxient, Palo Alto Software, Spanish Vines, EngenuitySC, SCRA Technology Ventures, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina and INDEXX. For more information about the Proving Ground 2012, visit www.USCProvingGround.com or email TheProvingGround@sc.edu.