Students are getting the competitive edge they need to succeed in the high demand field of Information Technology through skills-oriented training in emerging technologies, via the Community Education IBM Skills Academy courses offered at Peninsula College (PC).
“Completing these courses and obtaining badges and certificates will help my marketability towards getting a job by furthering my experience and expanding my knowledge in the IT field,” Zachary Smith said. Smith received badges in three IBM Skills Academy courses offered at PC to date; Blockchain, cybersecurity, and design thinking.
Students who complete the Blockchain course will help organizations lead the way into their digital reinvention journeys by identifying critical areas for the adoption of enterprise-grade Blockchain solutions. In the course, they explore the topics, technology and skills required to practice in the successful implementation of Blockchain solutions while acquiring hands-on expertise using popular Blockchain open source technology, including Hyperledger Fabric.
A cybersecurity certificate gives students real-world industry skills, and helps them build awareness of the impact of cybersecurity threats in key industries.
“The best way to learn how to combat hackers is by teaching students how to be white-hat hacks themselves,” Tanya Knight, professor of information technology at PC said. “By exploring how cyber criminals use operating system tools to get control, students learn how to protect their organizations and future organizations from these threats.”
During the program, learners practice on critical threats modeling methodologies and frameworks, as well as participate in Security Operation Center (SOC) roleplaying scenarios to experience research insights through design thinking practices to get them career ready. Students who complete this program can look forward to rewarding careers in penetration testing or “pen testing” — getting paid by companies to hack their systems as a means to identify weaknesses.
All IBM Skills Academy certificates are offered at the practitioner or intermediate level and awarded to students upon successful completion of the course(s). Earned digital certificates, previously referred to as badges, can be shared via social media sites and to students’ digital signatures. These credentials, valued and recognized by the global IT industry, demonstrate a level of proficiency to potential employers.
Peninsula College began offering IBM Skills Academy courses in January 2019, initially with the Blockchain course for credit. Since then, PC has offered Cybersecurity as a four-week boot camp community course. The community education department looks forward to soon offering all eight of the available IBM Skills Academy courses, both as boot camps and eventually as for-credit classes, Knight said.
The curriculum covers the latest technologies and industry practices, addressing high-demand skills in today’s market through methodology, hands-on labs and use cases in courses including:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Science
- Cybersecurity
- Blockchain
- Internet of Things
- Cloud Computing
- Design Thinking
- Quantum Computing
Committed to partnerships and collaborations like that with IBM, Peninsula College strives to offer educational opportunities to meet community needs.
