IT and Fintech Training Programs Help Meet Demand of Booming Regional Job Market
There’s an intentional plan to develop tech talent in the Jacksonville region as local universities work to tailor curriculum and roll out specialized programs to best equip students entering into the booming local IT and fintech sectors. Northeast Florida higher education institutions Florida State College of Jacksonville (FSCJ) and University of North Florida (UNF) have taken the lead in offering courses and programs with IT top of mind.
One Jacksonville-based company, Citizens Property Insurance, recognizes their need for a future talent pipeline so they decided to build one. Citizens is partnering with FSCJ to prepare students for jobs in application development and in IT security and risk. Through a 98-hour program, students will earn industry standard credentials and learn skills to prepare them to enter into the IT job market.
Likewise, due to high demand for IT and web development classes, Fullstack Academy has launched a new coding program in partnership with UNF aimed at satisfying the need for cybersecurity professionals. According to a statement from Fullstack there has been a 13 percent increase in cybersecurity jobs in Jacksonville over the past five years and the expectation is the demand for a skilled workforce in this area will continue to rise.
The news from UNF and FSCJ comes on the heels of a $3.6 million grant recently announced by Florida Gov. DeSantis that supports financial technology workforce training programs in Northeast Florida. The funding from the Northeast Florida Fintech Initiative will go towards programs that help to fill the shortage of qualified fintech workers in the state to the region’s two state colleges, FSCJ and St. Johns River State College.
The regional job market is booming and there is an abundance of opportunities for students to remain in the region after graduation and build a meaningful career. The courses, specialized programs and tools are in place and major players have taken notice of the need to train and grow the workforce in the areas of IT and fintech.