Although Hispanics make up about one-fifth of the U.S. workforce, they represent only 7 percent of the tech workforce, according to a recent study by the Aspen Institute and the Kapor Center. As the nation’s largest Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), with more than 32,000 students who identify as Hispanic or Latino, FIU offers unique access to skills to help close this persistent gap that is most in demand by tech employers today.
“As one of Florida’s largest higher education institutions, we have a responsibility to prepare students for a rapidly evolving and increasingly digital job market,” said Bridget Cram, interim vice president of Innovative Education and Student Success at Florida International University. “Partnerships like these, which draw on SkillStorm’s unique education model and strong relationships with key technology employers, help us fulfill that mission – and help us fulfill our role as a driver of economic mobility across the state.”
FIU’s partnership with SkillStorm includes the Accelerator program. SkillStorm’s Accelerator program offers online, asynchronous and traditional training courses to help students earn certifications in AWS, Salesforce, CompTIA and Pega.
“Our work is based on the belief that closing the skills gap and creating pathways to economic mobility are, in many ways, two sides of the same coin,” said Joe Mitchell, COO of SkillStorm. “Together with FIU, we’re enabling more students to learn the skills that lead to success in today’s workforce and expanding access to economic opportunity for those who can most benefit from promising higher education.”
The certificates offered through this partnership are designed for students and professionals at any stage of their educational or career path. Many of FIU’s certificate courses offer students the opportunity to take a course at a time that is convenient for them, while having access to one-on-one instruction from industry-certified instructors.