Tulsa cyber scheme includes training, childcare and transport

A program in Tulsa, Oklahoma aims to increase talent and diversity in cybersecurity and data analytics with a new cyber skills center, offering free training, paid apprenticeships and other support.

The initiative was launched by Tulsa Community College and economic development organization Tulsa Innovation Labs, in partnership with the global online learning platform edX, and Skillstorm, which hires, trains and deploys developers.

The program offers a 24-week online accelerated training camp, along with a paid apprenticeship upon graduation.

“Tulsa Community College has extensive experience and history of development with constant changes in the workforce and the development of individuals with the necessary skills for in-demand careers,” said Dr. Leigh Goodson, Tulsa Community College president and CEO, said. “Building camp graduates will not only be able to pursue new career opportunities after completing the program, but will also be able to apply credits earned from the boot camp to educational opportunities to support additional retraining and skills.”

The training can be used as university credit for a two-year associate’s degree through Tulsa Community College, or a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tulsa School of Cyber ​​Studies or Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business.

The initial program is estimated to support more than 200 Tulsans over the next three years.

Support Services

Up to US $ 4,000 per student was budgeted for cover services such as childcare vouchers, transportation costs, a laptop and internet connection, and job readiness coaching, supported by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

Conor Godrey, Cyber ​​& Analytics Portfolio Manager for Tulsa Innovation Labs, tells Location Today: “The Cyber ​​Skills Center is designed to serve as a new vehicle for economic mobility in our city. To truly achieve this goal, we worked to ensure that any otherwise qualified Tulsan could participate, regardless of their specific living conditions.

“That is why we have developed a curriculum that is as asynchronous as possible, taking into account that most of our students will have other jobs, and set up a series of social services to remove any specific obstacle a student encounters in their career transition. too spacious. Without providing these services, Tulsa would leave a great deal of talent out of its economic future, to its own detriment. ”

The Cyber ​​Skills Center works with nearly 30 non-profit organizations and community partners to provide feedback on program design and recruit students.

In March, Tulsa Innovation Labs launched an Economy Forward Framework to help cities measure the growth of their knowledge sector and track inclusion metrics.

The Cyber ​​Skills Center will launch its first class in the fall of this year and applications are now open.