Global Campus, Industry Partners Lead IT Readiness Initiative to Fill Skills Gap

ADHE awarded the Global Campus a $48,954 grant to build continuing education programs to train workers for information technology jobs.

ROGERS, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Higher Education awarded a $48,954 grant to the University of Arkansas Global Campus to develop information technology certificate programs, in partnership with local industry, to help fill a skills gap in Northwest Arkansas.

The “IT Readiness Initiative” is the product of a partnership between the Global Campus, Bentonville Public Schools, Acxiom, Collective Bias, Field Agent, J.B. Hunt, Rockfish, Saatchi & Saatchi X, Tata Consultancy Services and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The purpose of the professional certificate program is to provide people in the region with the workforce skills and certifications needed to satisfy existing and future industry needs.

This Regional Workforce Planning Grant is one of three grants that the Global Campus will seek to fund the IT Readiness program. The next two grant applications could provide further funding of up to $1 million each.

“Strategically providing continuing education to address gaps in regional workforce skills will strengthen economic growth in the region,” said Javier Reyes, vice provost for distance education at the U of A. “This initiative, guided by industry leaders, will empower the community to gain the skills needed to qualify for higher-wage jobs and will supply industry with the skilled workforce it needs to thrive.”

Michael Harvey, chief operating officer for the Northwest Arkansas Council, said information technology jobs have been growing at a rapid rate for several years in Northwest Arkansas.

“If employers are not able to find the IT talent they need here, they may seek to grow their businesses in another location,” Harvey said. “We’ve initiated a comprehensive regional strategy to address the need, and I think the IT Readiness Initiative will be one of the lynchpins of that strategy.”

Jarrod Ramsey, vice president of technology for Rockfish Digital, said, “Rockfish is pleased to be a part of the IT Readiness program. It’s our chance to help create higher education opportunities for those in Northwest Arkansas that may not have the resources to pursue college, or for those that know their career path and are simply looking for a faster start. The IT Readiness program will provide the accelerated education needed to catalyze career growth to ultimately help build the talent pool in the Northwest Arkansas field of technology.”

Rick West, co-founder and CEO of Field Agent, said, “We are living in a world that measures change in hours and days as opposed to months and years. The IT Readiness Initiative will ensure that our team at Field Agent will have a talent pool to pull from within Northwest Arkansas that meets the needs of our business. It will also ensure that everyone, regardless of their status, will have the opportunity to gain additional education and skills to compete in today’s competitive workplace.”

Industry partners will identify the most critical skills shortages and work with the Global Campus to develop and deliver the curriculum for information technology and analytics certificate programs. The Global Campus in Rogers also will oversee the grant and manage the project.

The grant will fund the position for a program manager, as well as equipment and supplies.

Tara Dryer, director of training, corporate development and academic outreach for the Global Campus, and Starlyn Danley, coordinator for computer training at the Global Campus, worked closely in recent years with local chambers of commerce, the Northwest Arkansas Council and local industry to build the groundwork for this workforce initiative. Stakeholders met in August to formalize strategic plans and apply for the grant.

The project’s offerings will run from basic to advanced levels and from short courses to lengthier certificate programs, according to the grant application. It will serve high school graduates, employed IT professionals, career changers, and those looking to get a job in the IT sector, offering different tracks to help people start, advance their careers, or pursue a college degree.

Successful participants can earn U of A certificates, once developed, in areas such as cyber security, cloud technology, programing, big data, mobile app development, graphic design, website development and social media analytics, as well as prepare for industry certifications.

Next Steps

Both the Global Campus and Bentonville High School offer courses now that are geared toward filling workforce gaps. The IT Readiness Initiative will accelerate, enhance and expand these efforts.

The first step will be developing the overarching program, Dryer said. The next steps will be implementation and continued maintenance and expansion.

The program manager, once hired, will work with the group’s advisory/steering committee and industry partners to create initial courses and programs and to establish a timeline to expand offerings and tracks. The manager will also coordinate input from partners to ensure continued collective decision-making.

According to the grant application, industry partners indicate the greatest immediate industry needs include data analytics, big data, coding, software development and testing, programing and software development, Web and digital communications, network systems, cyber security, critical/analytical thinking, and communications/technical writing.

Business partners, the subject matter experts, will help identify skills gaps and labor needs in the region, as well as contribute course content and curriculum, facilitate courses, contribute to the development of success measurements and provide feedback from employees and supervisors within their organizations. The Global Campus and the Bentonville Public Schools will provide educational expertise.

About the Global Campus: The Global Campus supports U of A colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online, distance and workforce education programs and courses. It provides instructional design services, technology services and assistance with marketing, recruiting and strategic academic development.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.