Almost every industry reports challenges in replenishing employees. The technology sector is no exception. As cybersecurity threats to individuals and businesses increase, trained professionals are needed now more than ever to fight cybercrime. The North Dakota IT Department has determined that there are 4 billion cyberattacks annually in North Dakota alone.
In mid-August, the 2024 Midwest Technology Summit will be held in West Fargo, North Dakota, where digital technology experts will provide examples of how malicious organizations hack systems and offer advice on data storage. Shared. Part of the event focused on education and technology. As artificial intelligence and digital science rise in all sectors, including higher education systems, education leaders come together to discuss how various training programs are helping meet the needs of critical technology talent. I participated.
Chad David, education panelist and IT director and cybersecurity program director at Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) in Belcourt, North Dakota, said the school continually updates its curriculum to meet industry needs. said. It was designated the state’s first National Security Agency Center of Excellence.
“Turtle Mountain Community College launched a cybersecurity program in 2015. Since then, we have built certificate programs, bachelor’s programs, and are working on a master’s program in Cyber Law and Policy. “Our bachelor’s program is in cyber defense. Our certificate program is in cybersecurity and data privacy,” he said.
“For many years, we have received the CAE-CD (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense) designation through the NSA. The greatest benefit of this designation is the credibility it gives our program. It also provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the workplace. This designation is aligned with the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Knowledge Units.”
Moderator Terry Efferts, executive director of TechND, asked the panel what can be done to ensure higher education is responsive to the technology skills needs of businesses.
Blaine Booher, program director for the Emerging Digital Academy (an Emerging Prairie initiative), said every company and every technology stack is unique, so on-the-job training and reskilling of employees is not in line with demand. I mentioned that continuing education is needed to make sure there is. .
“There are so many interesting things happening in technology, and each team has their own specialization. The most important thing for everyone in this environment is to be lifelong learners.” Booher said.
Jerry Rostad, vice chancellor for strategy at the University System of North Dakota, said that in addition to offering traditional degrees, stackable credentials will help companies keep their employees up to date with new technologies. He said it is now available.
“We offer non-credit training programs through TrainND to improve the skills of the industry people working there,” he said.
Whether classes are taught in the classroom, remotely, or hybrid, flexibility is a key demand from students. Internships and practicums also allow students to receive instruction in their chosen field, David said.
As healthcare and manufacturing are growing fields with rapid technological advances, the panel asked what higher education institutions are doing to promote these as career paths for students.
One of the programs, ND Career Builders, was funded by the North Dakota Legislature in 2019. This is a scholarship grant matching program that focuses on high-demand job needs within the state. Students looking for jobs in high-demand career fields can apply for scholarships, and participating companies will match them. Rostad said the program has been very successful, graduating more than 500 students in the past few years, many of whom are working in the medical and manufacturing fields.
Career Builders is dedicated to helping businesses recruit and retain talent for high-demand occupations across the state. This partnership provides up to a total of $17,000 per recipient.
“If someone is already in the workforce and has student loans, Career Builders can help students build the financial capacity to buy a home or start a family. We’ll give you one dollar of that to pay off that loan,”’ Rostad said. “We are meeting some of our employees’ needs through Career Builder, and I think it’s a good program.”
David said Turtle Mountain is considering offering a master’s degree in cyber law and policy because every agency and organization needs a policy.
Public-private partnerships play a critical role in ensuring state employees have the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the region’s technology needs. David said that in addition to public partnerships, partnerships at the state and federal level have increased opportunities for students to receive internships and mentorship at TMCC.
“Many of these partnerships provide us with resources, such as advisory boards for our programs, who provide input and feedback to all of our programs, as well as being there for our students.” said David. “The hands-on experience that some students are gaining from these partnerships will really give them an advantage when they enter the workforce and enter the workforce.”
“I remember when we first started the program,” Booher said. “One of the first partners we were able to work with was the Bank of North Dakota, which is a unique resource here in the state. It is the only program of its kind in the country that provides access to financing.”
“Mitigating the risk for students who want to change careers or improve their skill set is always a great investment, and likewise mitigating the risk for employers looking to hire employees. , take a chance on student recruitment and bet on early career talent,” Booher continued. “Recruiting always involves risk, especially early in your career, because you’re not always sure and you’re investing in potential rather than experience. These relationships and partnerships reduce any risk. I think it’s important that we continue to focus on the future and the workforce and ensure that the people who live and work here have access to the greatest possible opportunities.”
Rostad said NDUS has many partnerships. At North Dakota State University of Science and Technology in Wahpeton, for example, there will be jobs available for diesel technology students thanks to the school’s industry partners IH Case and John Deere, he said.
“They play an important role. When students earn their degrees, those jobs are scheduled. At Bismarck, we bring in industry partners to help determine the next degree programs we need to offer. But how do we ensure that we produce students that meet the needs of the state?” he said. “These are just two examples of several partnerships happening across the university system.”
Another emerging Prairie initiative, Grand Farm, was created to harness the region’s potential in the agricultural and technology industries, and partnerships are critical. The organization hosts several special events throughout the year, including the Space Ag Conference on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Grand Forks.
“Grand Farm’s goal is to create a neutral innovation platform for people to collaborate and create opportunities for experimentation, startup connections, and more,” Booher said. “Technology plays a big role there. In any kind of innovative startup, the technology and processes that are there usually require very niche and specialized skill sets. At Grand Farm With the innovation that’s happening, we’re learning a lot about the skills gap from people who have been working in this industry for a long time, and they’re solving problems that are very specific to their use cases.”
That information can be generalized across other businesses and projects. Booher said one of the challenges they face is finding ways to generalize problem sets across skill sets and teams, and ensuring that those who complete the training program are ready for opportunities such as GIS and cybersecurity. said that the goal is to create a training program that will give them access to.
NDUS has the Dakota Digital Academy (DDA), a program created to accelerate university system-wide capabilities in the cyber data space.
“Beyond the two institutions at NDSU and UND, it is difficult to find faculty to fill classrooms at our small institutions,” Rostad said. One of DDA’s missions is to bring classrooms and institutions together to fill classrooms and provide training to more students.
“The DDA has provided a lot of training to faculty in educational institutions to receive training in digital science in specific areas of expertise, such as accounting and business fields. The DDA has done a great job accelerating our capabilities in digital science across the university system.”
There are many ways higher education can support historically excluded populations and upskilling opportunities. David said that at a tribal university, it is difficult for students to access some of the jobs available in the area, and having companies offer internships provides students with a variety of career paths and opportunities. He said it was a method.
The cost of college can be the biggest financial barrier to attending for students. Booher said Emerging Digital Academy offers an internal scholarship program that allows students to receive assistance with tuition and living expenses. This program is supported by private donors and people in the organization’s employer network.
“Our program is a little unique. It’s full-time, it’s 20 weeks long, and when the timer goes off, we’re off to the races,” Booher said. “It’s a pretty rigorous admissions process for people who apply. When we find people who want a career in technology but think they might need to work a little bit more on the prerequisites, we give them We will provide the resources to continue to strengthen it and we will not stop supporting them.”
The Midwest Technology Summit is one of four Midwest Summits hosted by the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce.
