By Jenny McCulloch – Executive Director, Capital Area IT Council (CAITC)

Employer led and directed, the Capital Area IT Council (CAITC) is a coalition of industry, education, economic development, and government partners committed to identifying, developing, and implementing real solutions for improving the quantity and quality of IT professionals in the region.  The Capital Area IT Council has a foundation built on three essential pillars to help guide us in living our vision of a vibrant and thriving IT industry in the greater Lansing region.  Simply stated, we connect, develop and impact all things IT in the Capital area.

With the start of the new year, the council hit the ground running with a fresh new logo and invigorated board of directors, dedicated to serving the CAITC members and IT industry at large through strong peer-to-peer networking and regional initiatives to raise the visibility and viability of the Capital area technology industry. 

We strive to deliver valuable services to members and foster collaboration, innovation, and the exchange of ideas with the core purpose being to empower regional technology organizations and be their collective voice in growing the regional economy.  

Each month, we “connect” member and non-members of the Lansing region by hosting a CAITC Refresh event.  This coffee networking event brings together all IT interests and resources within the region, highlighting a member and providing an avenue for discussion with a monthly topic of interest.  

To help “develop” talent and promote continued learning, the CAITC provides user/peer group facilitation.  Current peer groups include: Operations, Women in Technology, and Help Desk.  A few times per year the council also hosts speaker events, most recently there were a series of Cyber Security Lunch and Learns.  Coming up on May 10^th the council in partnership with Spartan Innovations will welcome Joe Ellsworth to speak on “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Their differences and practical business applications.” 

In an effort to amplify the buzz about the IT community, the CAITC “impacts” the Capital area by driving awareness to identify skills gaps and talent development.  Striving to be a champion for STEAM career creation, the council finds multiple ways to partner and participate in local initiatives to bridge the gap between talent creation, education, community and businesses.  Being the hub of all things IT, the council’s members have participated in various education and community events which have helped to promote technology careers across all industry sectors.  

Technology impacts every segment of business in all industries.  What we’ve found by connecting the IT community from many of these industries, is that they share the same struggles and there hasn’t been a consistent collaborative outlet available for them to come together and work through these issues. That’s why we exist.  We offer our members networking and professional development opportunities and provide a voice to champion STEAM career creation to help the Capital area narrow the skills gap.  We’d love to meet you at one of our upcoming events! 

More about the council:   

The CAITC encompasses a diverse member base from tech start-ups to global companies.   If you are using, servicing, developing or managing technology in the Capital area, the CAITC would like to encourage you to learn about how you can join our efforts to connect, develop and impact technology in the Greater Lansing region.  To learn more about the Capital Area IT Council please visit our website at www.capitalareaitcouncil.net or contact Jenny McCulloch at jmcculloch@camw.net.