A year after technology training company SkillStorm partnered with Jacksonville University to provide customized training for First Coast employers, the program is seeing success, particularly in some of its targeted courses.
SkillStorm moved its headquarters to Jacksonville in August 2020, launching the JU partnership a month later.
SkillStorm's business model is based on having employers pay for the training, which is free to students. Classes are tailored for the need of employers, customized — on top of a standard base of training — to meet workforce demands.
"We believe we can retain our best and brightest local talent by deploying these resources to large employers in the Jacksonville area," SkillStorm CEO Justin Vianello told the Business Journal at the time of the launch. "This is where JU is absolutely essential in the partnership, because they have the relationships with large employers, and they have the ability to leverage those relationships to help them understand the value of building this domestic talent."
Now one year since the launch of its partnership, Jacksonville University President Tim Cost reflects on the first year's successes and where the program is going next.
Nearly a year after the announcement, how has this partnership flourished?
Over the past year, Jacksonville University and SkillStorm have launched several highly targeted courses that match specific needs and demands we see in the marketplace. For example, we’ve seen strong interest in our AWS and Salesforce certifications, with steady enrollment in those courses. It’s particularly appealing to students who plan to work in a technology-related field and want to ensure they’re instantly marketable to future employers. As we move forward with SkillStorm, we’re committed to this market-responsive approach – working first to understand what students and employers really want, and using that to inform decisions about how we expand these offerings.
What has been the response so far? Has it been mostly current students, alumni or adults from the community?
There’s a healthy mix of students, alumni and those outside our campus community, but the interest from our Dolphin alumni is particularly strong so far. It’s clear there’s a hunger and a drive among our graduates and working professionals to continue their education and training in ways that unlock new levels of success for them. And with the addition of scholarships offered by SkillStorm and JU, we see that growth continuing in the future.
What’s next for the partnership? Anything in closing about the SkillStorm partnership you would like to include?
We are focused on smart growth. We’re staying close to our industry partners and to our students, listening to their feedback and using that to guide our thinking. We plan to launch new courses over the next year to create a diverse roster of offerings that will appeal to returning students and those who have yet to take advantage of this unique partnership.
Are there any other entrepreneurship, accelerator or incubator programs or partnerships JU is looking into or would like to be a part of?
This year Jacksonville University also partnered with Podium Education to offer current students online elective courses in data analytics, digital marketing and web development – highly in-demand skills. Podium uses real-world data and case studies from companies like Google and Netflix to bring theoretical lessons to life, and we’ve seen strong interest from students this summer. Eventually we plan to extend these offerings to local high school students as well.
