edX and Drake State Technical and Community College Launch Free Training Program

edX Entry Partnerships is an award-winning social influence program that connects faculties and universities with native workforce businesses and funding companions to create reasonably priced pathways for underserved grownup learners to realize career-relevant expertise expertise. This system is underpinned by edX’s industry-leading boot camp curricula in key expertise fields. With a deal with innovation and grassroots relationship constructing, these public-private partnerships have upskilled greater than 3,000 learners in communities within the U.S. and U.Ok. at little to no price to learners.

This system will initially be provided to 60 learners within the Huntsville space starting in November, with 30 seats open within the cybersecurity boot camp and 30 within the knowledge analytics boot camp. Learners who efficiently full the boot camp program will obtain faculty credit score that may be utilized towards an affiliate’s diploma at Drake State. Over the subsequent three years, this system is estimated to assist greater than 150 Huntsville space residents.

“Drake State has lengthy been dedicated to providing versatile, reasonably priced technical levels and customised expertise coaching to assist and improve the lives of our workforce and the well being of our industries throughout North Alabama,” mentioned Dr. Patricia Sims, President of Drake State. “Our new Entry Partnership with edX will assist us proceed to fulfill workforce calls for by making ready highly-skilled employees to tackle roles in Huntsville’s distinctive mix of area and protection industries, biotechnology, healthcare, and high-tech manufacturing.”

edX has convened over a dozen group companions, together with United Method of Madison County and Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce, to supply a variety of companies, together with youngster care companies, expertise assist, transportation help, and facilitating connections with potential employer companions, all geared toward offering complete assist to learners.

“Supporting workforce improvement and profession readiness are key parts of United Method’s objectives for making training extra accessible to all members of our group,” mentioned Daniel Kasambira, President and CEO of United Method of Madison County. “By partnering with Drake State, edX, and our fellow group organizations, we’re activating collective strengths throughout sectors to fulfill learners wherever they’re and guarantee they’re supported in each side of their academic journey.”

Huntsville is one of many fastest-growing expertise sectors within the U.S. – it is residence to NASA’s Marshall House Middle, Boeing, Science Purposes Worldwide Company, and plenty of small federal tech corporations. In keeping with Lightcast Labor Insights, there have been greater than 2,000 job postings for cybersecurity expertise and greater than 2,500 job postings for knowledge evaluation expertise within the Huntsville space during the last six months.

“edX is making a sustainable workforce improvement mannequin by way of our Entry Partnerships. By bringing localized leaders in training and financial improvement along with key funding companions, we’re delivering free or considerably reduced-cost, career-relevant training to underserved communities worldwide,” mentioned Anant Agarwal, Founding father of edX and Chief Platform Officer at 2U. “Working along with Drake State and different companions within the Huntsville group, we intention to enhance entry to high quality training and assist diversify the tech expertise pipeline as demand for cybersecurity and knowledge analyst roles proceed to develop.”

Entry Partnerships are a part of edX for Affect – a collective effort to assist marginalized learners get the training they want as a way to develop the talents to pursue rewarding careers. edX has energetic Entry Partnerships with 19 educational establishments serving learners in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin within the U.S.; Birmingham within the U.Ok.; and New Brunswick in Canada. The partnerships are supported by greater than 90 businesses and group companions, every fastidiously chosen to assist their area’s distinctive learner populations.

As one of many world’s largest builders of expertise expertise, edX has supported greater than 75,000 boot camp graduates globally with the talents, data, and profession assets to attain their objectives. In keeping with a 2U-Gallup survey, boot camp graduates surveyed reported being practically 4 instances happier with their jobs after commencement from the boot camp, and over 86% reported attaining a optimistic end result.

For extra data and to use for this system, go to hwww.drakestate.edu/data-analytics-cybersecurity-boot-camps.

Organizations all for supporting the Entry Partnership initiative in Huntsville can contact [email protected].

About edX
edX is the worldwide on-line studying platform that fuels the world’s ambition. edX was developed in 2012 by Harvard and MIT to make the world’s greatest training obtainable to everybody. In the present day, as part of 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), edX connects over 78 million folks with on-line studying to fulfill each skilled second. Along with top-ranked universities and organizations on the forefront of their fields, edX provides 1000’s of job-relevant packages throughout practically each profession self-discipline, from synthetic intelligence and robotics to sustainability and public well being. Discover on-line programs, certificates, boot camps, and levels that gas your ambition at edx.org.

About Drake State Technical and Group Faculty

Established in 1961, Drake State Group and Technical Faculty is a traditionally black group faculty in Huntsville, Alabama, residence to the fast-growing, extremely technical aerospace and protection {industry}, together with the NASA Marshall Flight Middle, US Military Redstone Arsenal, and Cummings Analysis Parks. Drake State provides versatile, reasonably priced university-transfer 2-year and technical levels, certificates, grownup and persevering with training, and customised technical expertise coaching for Huntsville/Madison County employers. Go to www.drakestate.edu for extra data. 

About United Method of Madison County

United Method of Madison County, Alabama LIVES UNITED for Schooling, Monetary Stability, and Well being in our communities. By way of a complete, data-based wants evaluation carried out each 3 years, UWMC identifies the best wants of the group. It then recruits mission-specific volunteers, includes reliable associate businesses, leverages company assets, creates new packages, and raises funds all for the sake of fixing actual issues and making a UNITED lasting influence. www.uwmadisoncounty.org.

About Jobs for the Future

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. training and workforce methods to attain equitable financial development for all. www.jff.org.

About Truist Basis

Truist Basis is dedicated to Truist Monetary Company’s function to encourage and construct higher lives and communities. Established in 2020, Truist Basis makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to assist make sure the communities it serves have extra alternatives for a greater high quality of life. Truist Basis’s grants and actions deal with constructing profession pathways to financial mobility and strengthening small companies. Be taught extra at truist.com/basis.