U of A Taps Leading Experts to Prepare IT Professionals for Certification Exams

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Global Campus will bring nationally known trainers to Northwest Arkansas to help information technology professionals earn certificates that can advance their careers.

Global Campus contracted with Nielsen Norman Group, a leading voice in the user-experience field, and Metova Inc., experts in mobile, Web and cyber security, to lead workshops that prepare participants to sit for certification exams. Top IT and business leaders will teach a workshop to help tech experts become tech leaders.

These advanced-skills workshops are the latest expansion of the Global Campus IT Readiness Certificate Program, an educational initiative to fill the IT skills gap in Northwest Arkansas. These come in addition to ongoing certificate programs to prepare participants for entry-level IT jobs.

 “Our industry and educational partners are driving the rapid growth of the IT Readiness Program, and we’re thrilled about that,” said Tara Dryer, director of training, corporate development and academic outreach. “We have more programs in development to help both employees and employers.”

Participants will train at the Global Campus in Rogers, 3300 Market St., and can register online for the up-skill training workshops:

• NNg User Experience (UX) Certification Program, Oct. 26 and 27 and Nov. 8, 9 and 10. Attend five, day-long, immersive classes that give IT professionals the skills needed to enhance user experience for websites and application. Contract trainers from Nielsen Norman Group will teach the workshop’s five classes: UX Basic Training, User Interface Principles Every Designer Must Know, Generating Big Ideas with Design Thinking, Usability Testing, and Lean UX & Agile. The cost is $1,599 for Arkansas residents and 2,099 for residents of other states. Nielsen Norman Group exam fees are separate.
• From Tech Expert to Tech Leader: Leadership Development for Technology Professionals, Dec. 5 and 6. Attend a two-day workshop and complete a three-month mentoring period to gain leadership knowledge needed for advanced IT positions, such as managing a department or leading a team of employees. Learn how to handle shifting responsibilities that go beyond pure software development. Learn from 10 top tech and business leaders – including company founders, directors, and presidents – from across the region. The cost is $699 for Arkansas residents and $999 for residents of other states. Seating is limited to 40.
• Cyber Security: NIST Enterprise Network Defense Training Certificate Program, Feb. 19 through 23, 2018. Prepare for and take the National Institute of Standards and Technology Enterprise Network Defense certificate exam. Classes will be taught by Metova Inc., a national software design and development company with a division that provides cyber security technology, training and IT Services. The cost is $1,999 for Arkansas residents and $2,400 for residents outside Arkansas. The fee includes the cyber security certificate exam.

Client lists for Nielsen Norman Group and Metova both feature Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.

The IT Readiness program, funded by a state grant and supported by partners, began in 2016 with four six-month, entry-level IT Readiness Certificate tracks: back-end, front-end, Java and Mobile development. Adding the workshops for advanced IT training is the latest development in the initiative to reduce IT skills gaps in Northwest Arkansas and the region.

The cost to Arkansas participants is subsidized through an $851,062 Regional Implementation Grant from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

IT Readiness partners include Acxiom, Bentonville Public Schools, CaseStack, Collective Bias, DataScout LL.C., Field Agent, Iberia Bank, J.B. Hunt, Lofty Labs, Metova Inc., Nielsen Norman Group, NorthWest Arkansas Community College, Northwest Arkansas Council, Northwest Technical Institute, RevUnit, Rockfish Digital, Rogers Public Schools, Saatchi & Saatchi X, Springdale Public Schools, Startup Junkie Consulting, Tata Consultancy Services, Walmart Stores Inc. and WhyteSpyder.

This program is one of many professional and workforce development programs offered by the Global Campus in Rogers to provide people in the region with the workforce skills and certifications needed to enter the workforce or to change or advance their careers.

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.