Jacksonville University Building Tech Talent Pipeline
In an effort to build a pipeline of technology talent in the Jacksonville area, Florida's Jacksonville University is partnering with tech talent accelerator SkillStorm to provide customized IT training through a new Training Pathway Program.
Open to college graduates and veterans with or without a computer science background, the program is designed to develop IT talent to meet the specific IT needs of commercial and government organizations in Jacksonville, greater Florida and the Southeast, according to a news announcement. In one track, students with a strong technology background will be hired and paid by SkillStorm in a 12-week program focused on learning advanced skills and certification in enterprise technologies, and then deployed to a client company. In a separate track for those without prior coding experience, SkillStorm provides free, self-paced online introductory coding courses. Those who complete the courses and pass a tech screen move on to the aforementioned 12-week program, and finally join a client company.
"We're excited to partner with Jacksonville University to build a tech talent hub that can help the city, state and region. This partnership will not only help existing businesses expand their operations in Jacksonville, it will also help attract new companies seeking to access talent certified in today's most in-demand technologies," said Joe Mitchell, COO of SkillStorm, in a statement. "Jacksonville University's deep ties with businesses in the region will help accelerate conversations with executives so SkillStorm can assess their needs and deliver tech teams custom-trained for their specific IT initiatives."
"In our close relationships with outstanding companies throughout the region, we've learned they want to hire versatile, agile, talented people with a drive to continue growing and learning throughout their careers, and that will only intensify in the current climate," commented Jacksonville University President Tim Cost. "Through our partnership with SkillStorm, Jacksonville University will add more than a thousand adaptable technology professionals into northeast Florida's workforce over the next several years."
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Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].