Sinclair is joining Collin College, located in McKinney, Texas; Lone Star College in Houston, Texas; and Maricopa Community Colleges in Phoenix, Arizona. Columbus State Community College is the lead institution.
The program is funded through a $7.5 million National Science Foundation grant.
Sinclair Community College said there is a huge demand for IT training as technician jobs in STEM-related industries are expected to grow at double the pace of average U.S. job growth over the next 10 years.
Key components of the NITIC include:
- Developing a national team of business leaders to align future community college curriculum with employer demand.
- Creating an IT Innovation Network to note best practices and emerging ideas for IT education nationally.
- Distributing instructor training resources to address current and future IT skills.
- Finding and promoting best practices to recruit women, minorities and veterans in IT careers.
“This initiative aligns with Sinclair’s mission to find the need and endeavor to meet it by providing our students with a world-class education and ensure they are well-prepared for the ever-evolving landscape of information technology,” said Kyle Jones, professor and chair of Sinclair’s Computer Science and Information Technology Department.
V. Celeste Carter, director of the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education, said the program will support industry needs.
“NITIC will advance and support IT education by engaging the diverse, dynamic network of community colleges across the country,” Carter said.
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