Nashville State Partners with Tech Industry

With more tech companies flocking to the Nashville area and employers in every industry needing to fill job positions with skilled IT professionals, Nashville State Community College has stepped in to be a key workforce solutions partner.

“Nashville State Community College prepares today’s students to be future leaders in their chosen field,” said Dr. Shanna L. Jackson, president of Nashville State. “As a workforce solutions partner, we will continue to seek innovative ways to make sure our employers have skilled professionals and our students' lasting careers.

The 2020 Middle Tennessee Workforce Study stated that job growth in the region grew 25 percent from 2009 to 2018 while tech job growth was 47 percent. By 2028, the Nashville MSA projects overall job growth of 16 percent, while tech jobs are anticipated to grow by 22 percent.

With entry-level salaries for IT professionals averaging $55,000 per year, this field is extremely lucrative with a high potential for career growth.

There are multiple opportunities for Nashville area residents to level up to an exciting information technology career through Nashville State.

Computer Programming Certificate Offered

In May 2019, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce launched a project with financial support from JPMorgan Chase focused on building competency-based education (CBE) courses aimed at advancing all adults, targeting specifically those living in Nashville’s Promise Zone, toward careers in information technology. The Chamber is working specifically with Nashville State Community College and Columbia State Community College.

A competency-based education offers students an online environment to complete a degree or credential at their own pace. The format is meant to remove barriers to higher education.

A two-month-long marketing campaign called “You Deserve More” created by the chamber of commerce has kicked off to promote an IT pathway for interested individuals. The campaign is focusing on driving interest to Nashville State’s Computer Programming Technical Certificate, which can be earned in a matter of a few months and provides a baseline level of knowledge.

“We are grateful to JP Morgan Chase Foundation for this investment to innovatively upskill our workforce,” said Laura Ward, the Chamber’s senior vice president of Talent Development. “IT continues to be one of the fastest-growing career pathways. By connecting talent to training, and then to good-paying jobs, the pipeline is strengthened and we are connecting our neighbors to good-paying jobs and opportunities for career growth.”

Learning basic IT skills will position students to secure an introductory-level role, and from then on, the opportunities are endless.

To learn more about the Computer Programming Technical Certificate and other programs, visit nscc.edu/tech.

New Nashville State Coding Bootcamps

Nashville State has recently partnered with two full-service software development organizations to provide area residents with affordable coding education, industry networking, and hands-on experience.

“Nashville State is looking to provide the best education and an affordable price to area residents while aligning program curriculum and what we offer to industry needs,” said Dr. Carol Rothstein, Nashville State’s vice president of Academic Affairs.

CodeX Academy programs include Front-End Developer (24 weeks part-time) and Full-Stack Developer (48 weeks part-time). Students may accelerate their progress as the CodeX programs are self-paced. CodeX provides a comprehensive curriculum, personal mentors, and daily touchpoints and classes.

Promineo Tech provides Front End and Back End Software Development Bootcamps. These 18-week programs are divided into three 6-week courses accompanied by weekly lectures and assignments in a cohort-based delivery model.

The technologies covered in both programs are designed to prepare the students with the practical skills that hiring managers are looking for when filling software development positions.

To learn more about Nashville State’s Coding Bootcamps, visit nscc.edu/ITBootcamps.

Additional Nashville State Information Technology Programs

The Computer Programming Technology Certificate and coding bootcamps are two of several IT programs of varying levels offered by the College. Others include:

• Computer Information Technology A.A.S. with concentrations in
  • Systems Administration and Management
  • Cyber Defense
  • Programming
  • Systems Analyst
  • Networking
• Computer Science A.S.
• Information Security Technical Certificate
• Information Systems A.S.

Programs are Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect eligible, with Nashville State providing free laptops and hotspots to those who need them.

Industry Partnerships

Nashville State has been working with area employers to provide a pipeline of skilled professionals while providing an education and career pipeline for students.

The College has established a successful Learn and Earn internship program with Tractor Supply Company, where students receive dedicated classroom instruction and get real-world hands-on experience while getting paid. Graduates have gone onto full-time employment with Tractor Supply. Additionally, last spring Nashville State developed the first-of-its-kind in the state of TN customized apprenticeship program. Over the course of 10 months, Nashville State delivered the curriculum to five Asurion incumbent workers who are now Associate Software Engineers.