National Convergence Technology Center

Collin County Community College, Mckinney TX

Investigators

Abstract

The National Convergence Technology Center (CTC) Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) and a report from McKinsey & Company on disruptive technologies note that the Information Technology and Communications (IT) industry will undergo sweeping technology changes over the next 1-6 years due to accelerated automation (often linked to "the cloud") and the Internet of Things (IoT). These changes will require IT professionals to work with Software Defined Networks (SDN) and edge computing (to allow data to be analyzed closer to the source), thus requiring them to have some programming skills. There will be on-going demand for entry-level IT workers graduating from community colleges nationally, but industry will require graduates with higher-level infrastructure skills and some programming and cybersecurity knowledge and skills in addition to standard foundational IT skills. The CTC focuses on leading national efforts to ensure that students are prepared with up-to-date IT skills to be highly employable upon completion of a two-year degree. CTC will address curricular needs required by extensive changes expected in the industry, create new business-led regional hubs (r-hubs) of influence to broaden dissemination and sustainability, create and disseminate IT skill standards authored by the BILT, and provide products and services required to implement and support programmatic changes in community and technical college IT programs to promote graduates' success. CTC has built a Community of Practice (CCN) that currently has 57 community college and university members that meet quarterly and participate actively in the work of the Center. The CCN will be expanded to add high schools and more universities to bolster support for 2+2+2 agreements. CTC will collaborate with other Centers/Projects to share curriculum, diversity-building materials and other products. All curriculum, labs, training, and other models (e.g. BILT model, student portfolios) will be disseminated via social media and through events at the CTC and r-hub institutions to community colleges, high schools, and universities nationally.