December 09, 2025 -- South Carolina’s future will be shaped by advanced technologies that are beginning to find their place in industry. For these innovations to take hold, companies need people who can connect new tools to real problems, communicate value with clarity, and build trust in fields that are still emerging. That combination of skills does not develop by accident. It requires practice, exposure, and a learning environment where students can work with real challenges instead of theoretical ones.

This is why the partnership between the University of South Carolina’s Center for Sales Success and SC Quantum matters. Together, they are giving students the chance to learn how to sell next generation technologies, including quantum, through hands-on work that mirrors real industry engagement. The class is the only one of its kind in the country that teaches students to prospect, position, and communicate the value of technologies that the world is just beginning to understand.

A Hands-On Model for Real-World Readiness

More than one hundred students have participated across several iterations of the program. Each year, the course grows stronger under the leadership of Beth Renninger, Executive Director of the Center for Sales Success. Her teaching model is simple and effective. Students learn by doing. They conduct industry research, identify companies, locate influencers and decision makers, and build prospecting strategies based on real business challenges.

Their final deliverables include a complete prospecting playbook and a strategy presentation to SC Quantum staff, a structure confirmed in the project overview and partnership materials. This mirrors what professionals experience when selling into fields shaped by new and emerging technologies.

Modern Tools for a Modern Workforce

The course integrates technology that reflects how sales is evolving. Students work with Brevity, an AI-powered roleplay platform designed to help them practice outreach, refine their pitch, and strengthen communication skills. This gives them a safe space to improve their approach before delivering their recommendations to SC Quantum.

Pairing hands-on research with AI-driven practice creates a learning environment rooted in experimentation, feedback, and continuous improvement.

What Employers Need Most

Employers across South Carolina are preparing for a decade of rapid change, where innovation will touch logistics, health care, manufacturing, finance, and more. The most valuable hires will be people who understand how to communicate new technology with confidence and clarity.

The USC program prepares students for that reality. They learn to: • translate complex ideas into practical business language • engage decision makers who may not yet feel comfortable with emerging tools • work inside ambiguity • collaborate across disciplines • shape conversations that build trust

These are the skills companies consistently name as critical when evaluating early-career talent.

A Clear Link Between Education and Industry

The partnership with SC Quantum is more than an academic exercise. It creates a direct bridge between students and industry, helping them see how technologies like quantum may eventually support real operations and solve real business challenges.

Students gain context from SCQ’s statewide mission. They leave understanding that adoption begins long before companies buy hardware or sign contracts. It begins when someone can clearly explain value, make connections across industries, and help leaders imagine what is possible.

Anchored in Experiential Learning

The course also aligns with the Moore School’s broader approach to sales and marketing leadership. The school emphasizes hands-on experience, technology-powered learning, and strong industry partnerships as part of its evolving educational model. Its published overview highlights the importance of data-informed decision making, real-world engagement, and competitive preparation for high-impact careers.

Students respond strongly to this structure. Many describe the course as a point in their education where things click. They learn that selling emerging technology is not about pushing a product. It is about discovering needs, asking informed questions, and connecting problems to possibilities.

A Path That Builds Confidence and Skill

Because the class blends presentation, research, strategy, and teamwork, students experience a complete sales cycle from early discovery to final recommendations. They learn how to refine ideas through feedback. They learn that early assumptions rarely survive unchanged. They learn to adjust when new information appears and to work cohesively as a team under real deadlines.

These experiences build confidence. Students come away with tangible practice they can discuss in interviews and carry into internships and early career roles.

Partnership as a Long-Term Strategy

This collaboration shows what is possible when institutions partner with purpose. USC brings academic structure, coaching, and a commitment to experiential learning. SC Quantum brings context from industry, along with ongoing work across education, workforce, and statewide awareness. Together, they create a learning environment where students can stretch, experiment, and begin building the future of South Carolina’s technology workforce.

Looking Ahead

The impact of the USC and SC Quantum partnership reaches beyond a single semester. It helps create a pipeline of students who can connect innovation to business needs. It gives employers access to graduates with a strong grasp of emerging technology and practical sales experience. And it strengthens the broader goal of positioning South Carolina as a place that understands how to grow new industries.

Most importantly, it shows that the next generation is ready. With the right guidance and the right partnerships, they are already learning how to lead.