The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) and Coursera, one of the pioneers in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), announced today that they are launching a new tuition-free training program called the Academy for High-demand Fields in Careers for Graduates.
The new Academy will provide free online training and high-quality credentials to individuals without a college degree who are looking to enter high-growth digital jobs or start working towards a degree in underserved communities or for underemployed youth.
The Academy’s program will focus on three key elements. It is anticipated to cater to a minimum of 200,000 students. The Academy, which is fully web-based and accessible to American citizens who have finished high school, is intended to be finished in approximately six months.
The following certificates will be provided, which are recognized by the industry:
Students who effectively complete the certifications offered by Google and IBM will additionally get the chance to obtain around 10 to 12 credits for their university studies.
In addition, Western Governors University will allow students who complete the program to transfer credits into WGU’s Bachelor programs for admissions into the College of Business and College of Information Technology for qualifying and earning a degree.
The University of North Texas will allow those who complete certificates from Meta and Google to transfer credits into its applied program of Bachelors in sciences and arts.
The coursework emphasized on workplace abilities such as effective communication, analytical reasoning, and cultivating a mindset for personal development.
Various “comprehensive” support services, including:.
According to Dr. Kerry Healey, the President of MCAAD, “We urge businesses throughout the United States to collaborate with us and Coursera in broadening opportunities for underserved young individuals, in order to guarantee a competent workforce for the future.” This initiative will offer a consistent flow of talented individuals to companies that aspire to diversify their workforce and concentrate on training for future-oriented skills, rather than outdated ones. Our objective through this partnership is to provide underemployed young Americans with the chance to acquire skills that will make them eligible for higher-level employment, enabling them to thrive and pursue their ultimate aspirations. Concurrently, “we urge businesses across America to join us and Coursera in expanding opportunities for underserved youth to ensure a skilled workforce for the future.”
“The American Dream Academy and facilitate 200,000 U.S. Workers to acquire the skills and qualifications necessary to progress their education and enter high-growth digital professions, we feel privileged to collaborate with MCAAD to initiate. Establishing a fairer workforce in the digital economy will be crucial for rejuvenating the American Dream and providing skills training free of charge to underprivileged communities, this form of institutional cooperation.”
The Academy has been designed to align with the curriculum, according to a press release announcing that there are several high demand fields, such as data analytics, IT support, project management, and user experience design, where there are an estimated 1.3 million open jobs across the U.S., With an average entry-level salary of $69,000.
In the statement, Charles H. DeBow, III, the Executive Director of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, stated, “The primary objective of the American Dream Academy is to provide assistance in skills education, particularly for marginalized communities in the United States. This will contribute to the enhancement of our future workforce through diversity.” The National Black Chamber of Commerce, which is pleased to collaborate on this countrywide initiative and generate excellent prospects for economic advancement, further remarked, “We strongly urge our members and their businesses to make use of these scholarships and prepare our communities for the changing nature of employment.”