Emerging Delaware is partnering with Wilmington University to launch cloud education pathways.
The pathways start October 27, and the goal is to eliminate the global shortage of cloud and AI jobs.
There are more than six million such jobs currently unfilled worldwide and the current expectation is that over 90% of organizations will face critical IT skill gaps by 2026.
The cloud education pathways will offer degree programs, certificates, short courses and industry-recognized credentials allowing Delaware students to prepare for technology careers.
"So we're making it quick, we're making it nimble, so if someone feels like I want to know how the cloud affects marketing, they'll be able to take a course and get up-skilled in that. If they want to see like, well, maybe I'll dibble dabble in cybersecurity, they can do that as well, but we're not locking anyone into a long-term degree credential. We're allowing people to move and be agile, because that's what technology is requiring of us today," said Thais Greca, founder of Emerging Delaware.
All credentials earned in the pathways can be applied toward associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees at WilmU.
Greca says this initiative will combine her company’s focus on workforce innovation with the university’s academic background.
"So together we're not just going to offer classes, but we're creating this flexible, stackable credentials that can lead directly to jobs,” said Greca. “So we're looking at students as early as high school to get industry recognized certs that can count towards college degrees, or hopefully allow them to get employed right away."
Wilmington University will host programs through its colleges of Business and Technology and Professional and Continuing Education.
As part of the initiative, Emerging Delaware will lead program design, technology support and employer outreach.
The university will make more announcements in the coming weeks about the initiative including how to apply prior to its start in late October.
