Secure and empower: PlayCore trains, employs UTC cybersecurity students in Chattanooga

Mischka Scott, who graduated from the UTC BAS-IT CyS degree program in December 2023, now works as a system administrator at PlayCore. Photo by Angela Foster.

When Mischka Scott transitioned from social work to IT, she never expected to move from intern to system administrator at PlayCore, a Chattanooga-based company known for its commitment to community through play and recreation.

But she did.

When Scott graduated from the new accelerated cybersecurity degree program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in late 2023, PlayCore hired her full-time.

“I’m really grateful about that. They created a role for me so that’s awesome,” said Scott, who worked in social services for seven years before deciding to change careers and go back to school.

Her journey and success are a testament to the valuable partnership between UTC and PlayCore, one of several local companies that employ students in the 12-month degree program.

Students in the Bachelor of Applied Science – Information Technology – Cybersecurity (BAS-IT CyS) degree program attend class in the mornings and work weekdays from 1-5 p.m. at their respective companies to gain hands-on experience in core subjects.

PlayCore, headquartered just a few blocks from UTC in downtown Chattanooga, was among the first to partner with the University for the program.

“We weren’t sure if we could dedicate the time to train someone effectively but quickly realized the value and benefits the students brought to our team,” said Adam Dyer, enterprise infrastructure manager at PlayCore.

The partnership has turned out to be a win-win, providing valuable experience for students and fresh perspectives for PlayCore’s projects.

Dyer noted that Scott’s seamless transition from intern to colleague underscores their ongoing commitment to attracting and retaining motivated IT professionals.

“The additional support from these students has helped us further improve our IT security framework, and we’ve been able to offer them experience with security concepts and enterprise-grade software,” he said.

PlayCore Corporate Vice President of Marketing Anne-Marie Spencer highlighted the mutual benefits of the partnership.

“Chattanooga is a special city for our corporate headquarters with its growing talent pool, vibrant outdoor culture and commitment to being a ‘city in a park.’ We’re excited to share our learning and experience with students at UTC as another way of executing our mission and giving back to our local community,” she said.

The partnership aligns both with PlayCore’s mission to build healthy communities and UTC’s goal of providing hands-on, real-world experience for its students, she said.

This collaboration also exemplifies how local businesses and educational institutions can work together to foster growth and innovation.

Recognized by LinkedIn as one of the top cities in the U.S. for recent college graduates to start their careers, Chattanooga is known to nurture talent through collaborative partnerships.

As UTC continues to draft the next class for the BAS-IT CyS program, the success of students like Scott and favorable results for companies like PlayCore underscore the program’s potential and value.

“What UTC has done here is not just create a degree, they’ve created a pathway,” said Austin Corcoran, executive director of ChaTech, a nonprofit that supports Chattanooga’s tech economy. “By integrating a paid internship and focusing on applied learning, they’re ensuring students aren’t just ready to graduate—they’re ready to work.”

Get more details on the 2024 recruiting cycle for UTC’s accelerated cybersecurity program.