Miami Dade College has announced a partnership with IBM to advance tech employment opportunities for MDC students.

The collaboration, which includes more than $10 million in assets over the next three years, including guest lectures, curriculum content, digital badges, software, and faculty training, will provide MDC students from diverse backgrounds with access to skills development and resources in fields such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and quantum computing. The collaboration also will leverage the activities of MDC's proposed Artificial Intelligence Center across the curriculum; provide MDC students with job opportunities at IBM; and enlist Volunteer IBM Academic Ambassadors as guest lecturers, mentors, and counselors.

"As we continue to anticipate the needs of a rapidly growing technology industry, we’re collaborating with Miami Dade College to equip students, faculty, and the community at large with the resources to attract, train, and empower a diverse and inclusive workforce," said Jeff Welser, vice president of exploratory science and university collaborations at IBM research. "Through our skills-building programs, we aim to address common barriers of entry to emerging technological fields, including artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud computing, and quantum computing."