Grant Thornton LLP puts Virginia Tech students to the challenge

Professional services firm Grant Thornton LLP and Virginia Tech Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship recently hosted a Public Sector Innovation Challenge, a program that matches VT undergrads with Grant Thornton mentors to develop solutions to public sector problems. The objective of the challenge, held at VT’s Research Center in Arlington, was to focus VT students on identifying a public sector issue or opportunity and designing a solution that leverages innovation in technology, processes, or delivery methods.

The challenge is one of several elements of Grant Thornton’s work with VT’s Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to promote the exchange of fresh ideas among students, faculty, alumni, and program sponsors. The challenge judging panel included Mary Davie, assistant commissioner and government-wide IT category manager, General Services Administration; Thomas Klobucar, Ph.D., acting director, Office of Rural Health, Veterans Affairs; Steven McKnight, vice president for Virginia Tech National Capital Region; Carlos Otal, Grant Thornton Public Sector national managing partner; and Mohana Ravindranath, Nextgov federal technology reporter.

The winning team, Accrue, came up with an idea to match college students with government agencies through a mobile application, Accelerate. Government agencies partner with Accrue to post their hiring needs in the app, and students use the app to walk through the process of applying for internships and externships. The students apply for opportunities that interest them, along with a student loan forgiveness plan, before evaluating full-time offers upon graduation. The solution addresses not only the fast-approaching mass retirement of baby boomers, but also minimizes the incidence of student loan default among millennials.

The competition also showcased a team that proposed creating an online platform to help former military members acclimate to civilian life and the workplace by connecting them with training resources developed by leading companies. Another entry featured a mobile application housing seamless interaction for citizen to government services such as DMV, VA, IRS, allowing citizens to schedule times with call centers to discuss questions and issues.

Image caption: Grant Thornton Public Sector Senior Manager Paul Seckar, Apex CIE Executive Director Derick Maggard, Grant Thornton Public Sector National Managing Partner Carlos Otal, and Grant Thornton Public Sector Principal Eric Heffernan (back row, left to right) pose with the Innovation Challenge’s winning team, Accrue.