Morris Votech & CCM Among 18 U.S. Schools to Adopt "AI" Skills Program

Published on August 03, 2021

Morris County Vocational School District logo

Technology Skills and Working in Artificial Intelligence in Large Demand Among Employers

The Morris County Vocational School District (MCVSD) and the County College of Morris are partnering with the technologies giant, Intel, to introduce it's "Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Workforce Program" at the high school and at the community college level to help students gain critically-needed job skills in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence.

Intel's "AI for Workforce Program" was piloted in 2020 by the Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona and it is now providing AI content to community colleges across the nation.  The program offers courses on data collection, computer vision, AI model training, coding, the societal impacts and ethics of AI technology, and more to provide students with the technological skills needed for current and future jobs.

MCVSD and CCM are among 18 educational institutions across 11 States to be included in a major expansion of the Intel program across the U.S. in collaboration with Dell Technologies, according to an announcement by Intel issued earlier today. Each student will receive a certificate or an associate degree in AI.

CCM logo “We are excited to announce the first two modules of the Intel AI program will be implemented as part of the junior year of the Academy for Computer & Information Sciences,” said Shari Castelli, assistant superintendent of MCVSD. “The district is the first high school program in New Jersey to adopt and implement the program. The future plan is to offer the entire program as a new share-time program in partnership with the County College of Morris.”

The Intel Program has five educational modules, with Awareness and Foundation being the first two introduced at MCVSD. The other modules are Experience, Capstone and Practical Training. The goal is to help the students land careers in high-tech, healthcare, automotive, industrial, and aerospace fields.

The expansion of the program to CCM will provide access and opportunities to a broad group of students in those fields, including those in underrepresented and under-served communities, offering the technological skills needed for the job market.

Other participating community colleges in New Jersey include Middlesex College in Edison and Ocean County College in Toms River.

In a 2021 survey sponsored by Dell and Intel, AI and machine learning were areas of study most anticipated to increase in demand over the next three years. According to the same survey, AI skills were the second most in-demand behind cybersecurity. Additionally, 50 percent of community college educators anticipate AI and machine learning are the areas of study most expected to increase in demand over the next three years.

At four-year institutions, 64 percent of educators surveyed anticipated the largest increase of interest will be in AI and machine learning studies, followed by cybersecurity. Furthermore, 69 percent of respondents predicted employer demand for AI technical skills increasing, with 73 percent anticipating AI literacy skills to become higher in-demand by employers.

The Morris County Vocational School District (www.mcvts.org) provides vocational and enrichment programs that inspire and prepare students to succeed in today’s world and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities. The Academy for Computer & Information Sciences, located at Morris County School of Technology in Denville, is a four-year, full-time public high school program.

The Academy for Computer & Information Sciences provides students with a comprehensive overview of computer programming, internet technology, computer architecture, history of computers, mathematics for programming, network security, and software engineering.

An eighth-grade student eligible to attend a Morris County high school may consider applying to an Academy of the Morris County Vocational School District during open application period (September – November).

For more information, contact Gina DiDomenico at [email protected] or 973-627-4600 ext. 277.

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