• The University of Central Florida is the latest Florida school to join SkillStorm’s Upskill Together initiative after Florida State University, Florida International University, and the University of Tampa entered the collaboration early in October 
• The program intends to address the IT industry’s problem in attracting and training job seekers with the necessary skills and credentials 
• Through the partnership, participants can take courses leading to credentials from AWS, Salesforce, CompTIA, and more 
• Upskill Together is also granting a one-to-one scholarship match for students in need of financial assistance 

The University of Central Florida (UCF) announced this week that it is partnering with SkillStorm to expand access to high-demand, industry-recognized technology credentials.

UCF was asked to join a consortium of colleges and companies in launching Upskill Together, a SkillStorm effort. Upskill Together intends to address the IT industry’s problem in attracting and training job seekers with the necessary skills.

Through the partnership, UCF students are able to take courses that lead to credentials from the country’s largest IT businesses, including AWS, Salesforce, CompTIA, and Pega.

The initiative will provide online, instructor-led training for learners at UCF and other partner universities to earn credentials for in-demand fields like cloud computing, salesforce, and automation.

“Unleashing the potential of all learners in our community is core to our mission at UCF,” says Thomas Cavanagh, vice provost for Digital Learning at UCF. “Upskill Together will help UCF enhance our ability to provide the training and skills that prepare learners to succeed while creating opportunity and upward mobility.”

The certification courses available are designed for students and professionals to take at any time in their studies or careers. Many of UCF’s certification courses will allow students to attend at their own convenience while still providing one-on-one training from instructors.

Moreover, for every individual who attends training, Upskill Together will grant a one-to-one match scholarship for the same training at no cost to a learner with demonstrable financial need, with an emphasis on women, veterans, and others from traditionally underrepresented groups in IT sectors.

“For too long, the tech industry has treated widespread talent shortages and persistent equity gaps as separate and unrelated challenges — but in reality, they are two sides of the same coin,” says Joe Mitchell, chief operating officer of SkillStorm. “With the support of our partners around the country, Upskill Together match scholarships will accelerate economic opportunity for people from all backgrounds, providing pathways to the skills and industry credentials employers need to support their digital transformation initiatives today and into the future.”

UCF is one of several Upskill Together university founding partners within the state, alongside Florida State University, Florida International University, the University of Tampa, and Jacksonville University, who all announced their respective entries into the program earlier in October.

Computing and information technology occupations are projected to grow by 15 percent by 2031, accounting for nearly 683,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The median annual wage for these occupations was $97,430 in May 2021, which is 113 percent more than the median annual wage of $45,760 for all occupations.