Formed in May 2014 through a $3 million grant from Florida’s Board of Governors, the FITC Alliance is a collaboration between Florida State University’s College of Communication and Information (CCI) and Department of Computer Science, the Florida A&M-FSU College of Engineering and Florida A&M University’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences.
Technology students at Florida State University and Florida A&M University have one thing in common – the knowledge that fields such as information technology, computer science and engineering are in high-demand for qualified graduates. This common knowledge pushes these students to excel in their fields and work on exciting and innovative projects.
“I chose the IT program at Florida State University for the well-rounded graduates they help develop,” said Russ Hill Jr., an Information Technology major from FSU. “FSU focuses on the student and gives a number of different options within the IT field to specialize in; from software development, mobile apps, web development, database management to healthcare informatics and much more. Not only does the IT program focus on the technical side but also the leadership and communication skills employers are looking for in potential employees.”
Marissa Monivis, a recent graduate of the iSchool at Florida State University, is a part of a growing demographic changing the IT industry. “I chose the IT/ICT program because I have always been interested in the advancements in technology, social media, and upcoming gadgets,” she said. “I love the community involvement in the IT program. There are so many clubs and organizations to join; the program provides a culture of collaboration while still developing leadership and technology skills.”
Peter Rivera, a student from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, recently showed off his current research project, a climbing Bipedal Oscillating roBot, or “BOB”. Peter explained, “BOB is one of the fastest climbers – I’m researching attachment methods for surfaces such as stucco, brick, stone-aggregate and cinder-block.” After graduation, Peter plans to work for Lockheed-Martin where he’ll be a member of the team working on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle for NASA.
One of the primary goals of the Florida IT Career Alliance is to recruit high school students for FSU and FAMU’s information technology, computer science and engineering programs. The results focus on tracking these students and graduating them into STEM careers (the alliance has a goal of 2600 graduates over 5 years. The FITC Alliance is shining light on these high demand fields of by working together with local high schools, community colleges and employers to develop the skills needed for these professions and to highlight opportunities available within Florida.
“Getting employers, students and academic institutions together to work on making this career pathway for students is really important, because it helps students make that connection,” Larry Dennis, dean of CCI, said. “It helps people build their careers, and it helps build the economy in Florida.”
“We have universities now participating, community colleges across north Florida, our high school partners -over 65 that we’ve already identified – and then our industry employers, those that will actually take upon, and actually hire our graduates once they obtain their degrees,” FITC Alliance assistant project coordinator Faye Jones said. “This is a true collaborative that can really work at meeting these supply demands that we have in the state of Florida for technology.”
Since its inception two months ago, the Alliance has hit the ground running to establish connections with high school teachers to enhance visibility of IT, computer science and engineering professions. The goal of the FITC Alliance on the high school level is to help students realize the local opportunities in both college and their future careers.
By joining the alliance, high schools have the ability to network with local industry professionals, increasing curriculum standards and providing student opportunities for college programs and internships.
The FITC Alliance hosted its first workshop on July 24-25, 2014, at the Florida State University Alumni Center. High school teachers from across the Florida panhandle attended the event and participated in focus groups with grant leaders in order to formalize next steps for the alliance’s outreach initiatives.
Ebe Randeree, Project Coordinator for the grant said that “we have spent the past 5 years building a grassroots connection to Florida schools and teachers. The FITC Alliance will build on our existing partnerships with schools in the Panhandle, local community colleges, and Florida employers; working with high school students and teachers will allow us to showcase the employers in the State and the education programs offered by universities and colleges that are part of the FITC Alliance.”