The first class of the BlueSky Tennessee Institute, a first-in-the-nation workforce development program, celebrated its graduation with the College of Business and Technology at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) on Saturday, and have accepted roles with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
The graduates received bachelor’s degrees in computing, having completed the university’s required coursework in just over two years. All eligible students accepted positions in the company’s enterprise information technology division and begin work in January.
“Like many businesses nationwide, BlueCross faced a persistent challenge: a shortage of skilled technology professionals,” explained Bradley Leon, executive director of the BlueSky Institute. “Traditional hiring practices and existing education pipelines weren’t delivering the quantity or quality of talent needed. Instead of waiting for the system to change, BlueCross decided to build its own solution, and BlueSky Institute was born.”
Now these graduates are launching their careers right out of college as they step into information technology roles in Chattanooga.
“This is a wonderful place to work, and I’m just excited for everything to come,” said Cohort 1 student Micah Wright, who has accepted a position as an associate software engineer with the company.
The BlueSky Institute is an innovative workforce development program created by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee in partnership with ETSU. Students in the program take an accelerated path through ETSU’s accredited computing curriculum and receive real-world experience with technology, as well as professional mentoring from BlueCross employees.
The program is based at the company’s headquarters on Cameron Hill in Chattanooga and is designed to develop advanced technology talent to meet BlueCross hiring needs.
“We are so grateful that these students took a chance on BlueSky Institute and saw it through,” Leon said. “They are the future of BlueCross and have helped prove the program is a successful new model for workforce development.”
The BlueSky Institute will welcome its next cohort of students in spring of next year. Interested students can apply on the ETSU site through Jan. 15.