Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs
(left) and DCCCD Associate Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Community Joyce Williams
Contact: Alex Lyda
214-378-1819;
alyda@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Sept. 25, 2019
(DALLAS) — The sky will no longer be the limit for students across Texas looking to soar into the world of cloud computing.
Beginning spring 2020, every community college and technical school in Texas will have the opportunity to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree in cloud computing. The same courses, the same curriculum and ultimately the same degree will place students from every corner of Texas on an equal playing field.
Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs made the announcement Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the Dallas County Community College District Office, after extensive coordination with the Texas Higher Ed Coordinating Board and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is helping design the curriculum.
The statewide offering marks one of the nation’s first Associate of Applied Science degrees in cloud computing offered by a community college. The two-year program is in response to what AWS and DCCCD recognized as a lack of trained talent in cloud computing across Texas. Today’s society often thinks “cloud first,” but it became apparent that the Texas workforce did not reflect this growing shift, officials said.
“To have this new initiative made available not only to DCCCD students, but to learners across Texas is unparalleled,” said Dr. Joe May, DCCCD’s chancellor. “Our exciting, new partnership with Amazon Web Services will introduce a wide array of students to the world of cloud computing, while equipping them with the education and skills necessary to prove successful in today’s ever-advancing workforce.”
Cloud computing is the delivery of on-demand computing services — from applications to storage and processing power — through a cloud services platform via the internet.
(left to right) DCCCD Board of Trustees Chair Diana Flores, Texas Sen. Nathan Johnson, Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, Texas Sen. Royce West and Texas Rep. Carl Sherman
The 60-credit-hour program is aligned with the needs of the industry, infused with opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials and targeted at high-growth areas that show significant job demand with the local workforce. Students will be introduced to cloud computing technologies that drive innovation in fields such as gaming, artificial intelligence, medical advancements and more.
Cloud-related jobs include software engineers, software architects and data engineers with starting salaries well above $60,000. Through the program, students will also help meet the goals of the 60X30 Texas Higher Education Plan, which aims to see at least 60% of Texans ages 25-34 receive a certificate or degree by the year 2030.
DCCCD is exploring the possibility of offering cloud computing classes at Brookhaven, El Centro, North Lake and Richland colleges next year under the new announcement.
However, the push goes well beyond college students. DCCCD, together with AWS, has envisioned a way for K-12 students to jumpstart their careers in cloud computing, long before ever setting foot on a college campus. Work is already underway to offer a dual-credit option for high school students, serving as a pipeline for students entering the field. Future partnerships between DCCCD and area independent school districts are in the works.
These partnerships are pervasive in any industry you can name, said Joyce Williams, DCCCD’s associate vice chancellor for workforce and community, who also serves as chair of THECB’s Workforce Education Course Manual Advisory Committee. “It’s a great equalizer in communities not only here in Dallas, but statewide.”
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