Skills-based learning in higher education and a clearer path to a career are the top priorities for students and educators this year, according to the 2023 State of Student Success and Engagement in Higher Education survey results released today by Instructure, the maker of Canvas LMS.
The Montana University System (MUS), in collaboration with Education Design Lab (EDL) and other stakeholders, has launched a new initiative to create 12 to 20 microcredential programs that can be completed within a year and allow learners to gain either an associate's degree or immediate employment in high-demand careers such as IT and other technology.
As part of the 2023 78th General Assembly of the United Nations, IBM announced it will train, for free, 2 million learners in AI worldwide within the next three years, building on its existing commitment to skill 30 million learners by 2030.
Announcing its commitment to provide "an education tailored to address the needs of an AI-driven workplace," DeVry University has launched a new AI Lab, which will be focused on discovering which AI skills are needed in an AI-driven career and how to prepare for it.
Abilene Christian University (ACU) celebrated the grand opening on Sept. 1, 2023, of its Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center (SERC), which will house a research molten salt nuclear reactor, currently being designed. The facility will allow graduate and undergraduate students to contribute to "world-class research and groundbreaking technology," the university said.
The Tech Equity Collective (TEC) was started by Google to assist aspiring Black tech talent and innovation. It creates "culturally informed career pathway programs," Google said, and recently announced the Black Genius Academy (BGA) app.
With the global cost of cybercrime set to top $10.5 trillion by 2025, according to Rose Gamble, vice president for research and economic development at the University of Tulsa (TU), the university has announced plans for the new Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute (OCII), which will identify, test and deploy solutions to meet the threat and train personnel to fill the need for expertise in this and other areas.
Online learning platform edX has announced AI boot camps to start this fall at several universities nationwide. The online program will be especially geared to early- and mid-career professionals who wish to build AI skills rapidly for entry-level positions, the company said.
The University of Texas (UT) system and Coursera have partnered to offer an expanded, free microcredential program to any UT students, educators, staff, and alumni interested in obtaining microcredential certificates to help prepare them for new workforce demands.
Cengage Group's third annual employability report, "AI Joins the Workforce," asked employers and graduates questions about how AI is impacting job skills requirements and whether graduates feel prepared for them. Their responses suggest a "quickly shifting employment landscape" of different hiring priorities, the report noted.