The University of Central Florida is partnering with technology talent accelerator SkillStorm to expand access to high-demand, industry-recognized technology credentials.
UCF was invited as one of a coalition of universities and employers to join SkillStorm in launching an initiative called Upskill Together. Upskill Together aims to solve the tech industry’s difficulty in recruiting and training job candidates who have relevant skills.
The initiative will provide online, instructor-led training for learners at UCF and other partner universities to earn credentials for in-demand fields like cloud computing, Salesforce and automation.
Computing and information technology occupations are projected to grow by 15% by 2031, accounting for nearly 683,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median annual wage for these occupations was $97,430 in May 2021, which is 113% more than the median annual wage of $45,760 for all occupations.
Like UCF, Upskill Together is focused on providing access and opportunity to underrepresented groups. For every person who accesses training, Upskill Together will provide a one-to-one match scholarship for the same training at no cost to a learner with demonstrated financial need, with a focus on supporting women, veterans and others from groups that are historically underrepresented in tech fields.
“For too long, the tech industry has treated widespread talent shortages and persistent equity gaps as separate and unrelated challenges — but in reality, they are two sides of the same coin,” says Joe Mitchell, chief operating officer of SkillStorm. “With the support of our partners around the country, Upskill Together match scholarships will accelerate economic opportunity for people from all backgrounds, providing pathways to the skills and industry credentials employers need to support their digital transformation initiatives today and into the future.”
UCF is one of the Upskill Together’s university founding partners, along with Florida State University, Florida International University, California State University Fullerton, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, the University of Tampa, Indiana Wesleyan University and Jacksonville University. Participating corporate partners include Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, CompTIA, Pega and others.
“Unleashing the potential of all learners in our community is core to our mission at UCF,” says Thomas Cavanagh, vice provost for Digital Learning. “Upskill Together will help UCF enhance our ability to provide the training and skills that prepare learners to succeed while creating opportunity and upward mobility.”
To learn more or apply for a scholarship, visit upskilltogether.com.
