CUNY will now offer advanced software development program for computer science majors.

Innovative partnerships will also bring high-level programming courses to all New Yorkers at CUNY and beyond.
New York, NY – Today, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, along with CUNY, Tipping Point Partners and Coalition for Queens, announced two new partnerships that will help train more New Yorkers for in-demand computer programming languages and other valuable cutting edge technologies. These public-private partnerships will expand access to tech education, putting more New Yorkers at a greater advantage to gain the proficiency necessary to succeed in the second largest and fastest growing technology center in the country. These initiatives were first announced in Speaker Quinn’s address before the Association for a Better New York in October 2011.

According to recent data, there are currently 1,700 digital firms in the city, 932 of which say they are hiring – today. Unfortunately, these good jobs are hard to fill because people lack the necessary skills and training to gain entry to the sector. With unemployment in the city at 9.6%, the Council and its partners are making every possible effort to help more New Yorkers obtain the skills they need to compete for these well-paying jobs.

The first initiative, the Advanced Software Development Program, will be offered at CUNY starting this fall. Targeted to computer science undergraduate and graduate students, this program and its curriculum were developed in close partnership with CUNY, Tipping Point Partners and additional local tech firms. Participating students will receive online, classroom and lab instruction and adjunct lectures by industry professionals. Notably, students will spend a significant amount of time on “pair programming,” a common technique utilized at many firms in which programmers work in duos to solve complex programming problems. The course of study is designed to improve students’ technical abilities, refine their communication skills and build business acumen to better address real-world business and product needs. These skills were identified by companies as critical to workplace success but unfortunately, not enough recent college graduates possess them.

The second partnership involves the Coalition for Queens, CUNY, Skillshare and other leaders in the tech field. This partnership will provide high-quality tech education in areas such as computer programming, digital marketing and entrepreneurship on CUNY campuses in Queens. Instructors will include pioneering leaders and professionals from firms such as Ogilvy & Mather, Covington & Burling, OKFocus and Barrel NY. Expanding access to these courses will allow both the public-at-large and CUNY students to gain the skills needed to pursue careers in the tech sector and the program will be open to all New Yorkers.

The impetus for these advanced programs came from a tech industry and academia working group convened by Speaker Quinn to explore ways to address the industry’s workforce challenges. In addition to the partnerships announced today, CUNY also offers a host of online and classroom-based “a la carte” programming language courses through several of its campuses.

“As we strive to create more jobs throughout the city, it’s important to first do all we can to help New Yorkers prepare for current job openings in our burgeoning technology sector,” said Speaker Quinn. “I’m proud to partner with CUNY, Tipping Point Partners, Coalition for Queens, Skillshare and other tech industry leaders to ensure that New Yorkers are armed with the qualifications they need to access good-paying jobs in the tech industry. We consistently hear from tech companies that jobs are hard to fill because employers aren’t seeing enough qualified candidates. With the launch of these initiatives, I am confident that we’ll be hearing this complaint less often.”

“This is what good government should do: transform problems into opportunities to help industry and people alike,” said Tipping Point Partners CEO Art Chang. “In my 15 years in the New York technology sector, the demand for qualified developers has far exceeded the supply, constraining growth. The solution lies in the thousands of New Yorkers who graduate each year with potentially valuable computer science degrees, but who need a practical stepping stone to success in rapidly evolving technologies. We applaud City Council Speaker Quinn and CUNY for implementing the Advanced Software Development Program.”

“This is exactly the kind of collaboration that more organizations should be doing with our top colleges and universities,” said Queens College President James Muyskens. “We’re excited to work with Speaker Christine Quinn, Coalition for Queens, and the New York tech community to improve educational opportunities. Our students and faculty can be a pipeline to meet the growing needs of our tech community. With this initiative, everyone wins: our students, New York businesses, and all the members of our community.”

“We’re thrilled to work with Speaker Quinn to provide high-quality tech education in Queens,” said Coalition for Queens Founder Jukay Hsu. “Our organization is dedicated to community development, and we believe that everyone can gain the digital skills required to work in the new tech economy. By partnering with innovative industry leaders, we hope to create strong linkages to good-paying jobs, grow the Queens tech community, and help accelerate the growth of the New York City economy. We thank Speaker Quinn for supporting these efforts and share her vision for increasing education and job opportunities for all New Yorkers.”
“Partnering on a local initiative that values hands-on learning resulting in real-world skills is exactly the type of work we’re passionate about,” said Skillshare CEO and Co-Founder Michael Karnjanaprakorn. “Our tech communities are made up of people who are learning as they go and have the most up-to-date knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship. We should be learning from them! Teaming up with the City of New York, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, CUNY and Coalition for Queens, we can build affordable, accessible education. Together, we can provide students with tools that the local job market needs, and that fuels the thriving NYC technology scene.”

“I am excited about the opportunities that these two innovative partnerships will bring to all New Yorkers who are involved and who would like to be involved in our city’s growing technology sector. Technology education and job opportunities are critical to growing our tech economy and these new programs will help accelerate that growth. Special thanks to Speaker Quinn, CUNY and the leaders of our city’s tech industry,” said Technology Committee Chair Fernando Cabrera.

“The new partnerships are a testament to the City’s ongoing efforts to provide necessary resources and skills for New Yorkers to be more competitive in the fast growing sector of technology,” said Economic Development Committee Chair Karen Koslowitz. “The City Council is proud to work with Speaker Quinn, CUNY, Tipping Point Partners, and Coalition for Queens to diversify our city’s economic engine and ensure the stability and well-being of our economy.”

“Our City must do everything it can to ensure that New Yorkers can compete in a global economy that is increasing integrated with technology,” said Council Member Margaret Chin. “Not only do we want to foster the growth of the tech industry here in New York City, but we want to make sure that New Yorkers are the ones leading this movement. I want to thank Speaker Quinn for the great support she has shown the tech sector here in New York City, as well as CUNY and other partners for their support of this program.”

For more information on classes and upcoming events please visit http://www.QueensTech.org.

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