The program was created as a component of a larger
Tallahassee TechHire Initiative and focuses on rapidly training workers to
enter high-paying tech jobs in North Florida.
I/O Avenue will begin taking students in the fall and will
be operated in the computer labs of FAMU’s Workforce Computing Center.
To keep pace with rapidly evolving market demands, academy
students will learn front- and back-end web development in a project-based
environment that encourages hands-on learning and collaboration.
According to Larry Robinson, Ph.D., FAMU’s interim
president, the initiative is consistent with the University’s goals outlined in
its newly proposed strategic plan, which will be presented for approval next
month to the Board of Trustees.
Among those goals are increasing the number of students
graduating from programs in areas of high employer demand; increasing the
percentage of students completing high-impact co-curricular experiences;
expanding cutting-edge research and creative scholarship; and enhancing
community engagement.
Robinson explained that the collaboration also provides an
opportunity for FAMU and the Tallahassee community to work together to respond
to the need for a more diverse technology workforce. FAMU’s
nationally-recognized STEM programs,
faculty, and students offer the diversity and talent pool that are needed to
sustain the tech industry in Tallahassee, the state and the nation.
“FAMU is excited about the skills and opportunities that I/O
Avenue will provide to our students and to members of the community,” said
Robinson. “These engagements make Tallahassee a better community, and make FAMU
a stronger university.”
After announcing the initiative during an innovation and
industry tour in Nashville, Tennessee in partnership with the Tallahassee
Chamber, Ryan Kopinsky, I/O Avenue’s
director, said the program will work with area employers to place graduates in
open technology jobs.
“Hundreds of tech jobs go unfilled every year in
Tallahassee,” said Kopinsky. “If we are
really going to create a thriving innovation ecosystem, we need to match local
talent to local jobs.”
Academy content will be delivered in 12-week-long, part-time
courses, and will include 12-18 students per cohort. The program will offer two
specific tracks. The first will focus on training and securing jobs for
underrepresented and economically challenged communities with no prior tech
background, and the second will focus on providing enhanced training for
workers and students from STEM fields that are looking to refine their skills
to meet local job market demands.
“As Tallahassee continues to develop a new economy, it is
increasingly important that our local workers have the skills necessary to
enter the hundreds of high-paying jobs in our tech sector,” said Gillum.
“This program will empower and train citizens that are hoping to pursue new
career opportunities, while enhancing the local tech talent we have available
for the growth of our local businesses.”