Funding for engineering and IT scholarships presented to Northwest Florida Consortium

Florida’s Great Northwest is investing in certificate and degree programs in information technology (IT) and engineering at seven Northwest Florida post-secondary institutions. Participating in the scholarship program are the University of West Florida, Pensacola Junior College, Northwest Florida State College, Gulf Coast Community College, Chipola College, Tallahassee Community College and Florida State University. Through its post-secondary education scholarship program, Florida’s Great Northwest is awarding two grants, totaling $1,150,000, to be used for scholarships to aid in developing a qualified IT and engineering workforce within the region.

Research conducted by Florida’s Great Northwest identified business sectors of information technology and engineering as critical support industries for growing a knowledge-based economy in Northwest Florida and for supporting the growth in technology-based businesses. This grant award is a response to the workforce deficit in computing and engineering occupations in Northwest Florida as identified in a recent study conducted jointly by Florida’s Great Northwest and the UWF Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development. The study revealed a dramatic shortage of graduates from certification through graduate degrees in computer engineering, industrial engineering, computer specialist programs and engineering technician programs in Northwest Florida as well as at the state and national levels.

“IT and engineering are driving forces in the expansion of Northwest Florida’s increasingly high-tech, knowledge-based industries,” said Al Wenstrand, president of Florida’s Great Northwest. “The businesses in the region have identified a critical workforce need, confirmed by the Haas Center study. Growing our own talent in high-wage, high-skill occupations is a long-term strategy that reflects a significant benefit for the citizens of Northwest Florida while creating a workforce that will meet the needs of the technology businesses that even in this recession are growing and demanding additional employees.”

A unique six-college alliance, the Northwest Florida Consortium, comprised of the University of West Florida, Pensacola Junior College, Northwest Florida State College, Gulf Coast Community College, Chipola College and Tallahassee Community College, will use the grant to award approximately 378 scholarships to IT and engineering students. The consortium will match the $1 million grant with $2,631,935 for a total program investment of more than $3.5 million.

“Our higher education consortium is pleased to receive this grant,” said Judy Bense, president of the University of West Florida. “It will enable us to better serve our region in measurable ways as we seek to expand our knowledge-based economy. Our six institutions are committed to working together so we can provide streamlined and easier access to higher education and expand our ability to offer academic programs that will give our students a much greater opportunity to get high-paying jobs with a great future right here in Northwest Florida.”

At the seven colleges and universities, all of the scholarships will target students who plan to live and work in Northwest Florida upon graduation. UWF will offer two new scholarship cohorts for Florida residents who wish to earn a Master of Science degree in Computer Science – Software Engineering specialization online. The cohorts will start fall 2009 and spring 2010. Students in these cohorts will be loaned laptop computers with all of the necessary software preloaded. UWF will also offer a certificate in technology systems support and a certificate as computer support technician or Microsoft Certified Systems administrator.

“Our thanks and congratulations go to UWF President Judy Bense who led the formation of the consortium, as well as to the presidents of the other five institutions,” said Wenstrand. “The level of cooperation and coordination among the institutions is truly outstanding and deserves significant praise.”

For more information on the UWF Master in Science degree, visit uwf.edu/computerscience/graduate/newse.cfm or contact the UWF Department of Computer Science at (850) 474-2789. For more information on Information Technology scholarship opportunities, contact the UWF Department of Engineering and Computer Technology at (850) 474-2018. For more information on the UWF Certificate as Computer Support Technician or Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator, contact Nicole Gislason, director IT Academy, via e-mail at nicole@uwf.edu.

Written by Janice Cooper, University Marketing Communications