SB579 takes a bold step toward preparing North Carolina students for careers in healthcare and high-tech. But there is a gap. The bill does not name the fastest-growing adjacent sector: the digital economy infrastructure layer — the compliance officers, product managers, UX researchers, data annotators, and AI governance professionals who make technology trustworthy, usable, and accountable. These jobs exist now. They pay well above median wage. They require judgment, communication, and ethics — skills AI cannot replace. And they are disproportionately inaccessible to low-income students who have no roadmap into them. This proposal closes that gap.
The Genius Act and Clarity Act are establishing federal frameworks for digital asset regulation. RegTech — technology that automates compliance — is projected to be one of the fastest-growing sectors of the decade. NC is already home to fintech leaders including nCino and Live Oak Bank.
Yet no high school pipeline exists to connect students — especially in low-income communities — to these careers. Healthcare has a pathway. Aviation and manufacturing have pathways. The digital economy does not. SB579 is the right vehicle to fix that.
Every career in this pathway shares one characteristic: they require human judgment, ethical reasoning, and accountability — qualities that regulation demands and that AI cannot legally or practically substitute.
A compliance officer must sign off on risk. A UX researcher must interpret human behavior. A product manager must make tradeoffs between competing stakeholder needs. A data annotator teaches AI what is true. These roles govern AI — they are not governed by it.
New Hanover County is uniquely positioned to pilot this pathway. Anchor employers for apprenticeships and career exposure exist in our own backyard:
Include digital assets, fintech, and responsible AI as named high-demand sectors under the Seamless Skills Initiative (Section 4), alongside healthcare and general high-tech.
Designate New Hanover County as a pilot site. Local employer infrastructure — nCino, Live Oak Bank, GE Aerospace — enables immediate apprenticeship partnerships without building from scratch.
Activate the career exploration provision already in Section 1(e)(11) to include digital economy exposure for 6th–8th graders. The Board of Education's employer visit initiative is a ready vehicle.
Ensure the Commission and working groups include digital asset investors, RegTech practitioners, and community educators — not only academic or government representatives.