{"id":3960,"date":"2017-06-08T13:29:56","date_gmt":"2017-06-08T18:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/for-wisconsin\/?post_type=campus_story&p=3960"},"modified":"2017-06-08T13:29:56","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T18:29:56","slug":"uw-oshkosh-innovative-pilot-program-helps-meet-it-workforce-demands","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/uw-oshkosh-innovative-pilot-program-helps-meet-it-workforce-demands\/","title":{"rendered":"UW-Oshkosh innovative pilot program helps meet IT workforce demands"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Governor<\/a>
Governor Walker shakes hands with UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Leavitt at the announcement of the pilot project.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gov. Scott Walker joined University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and UW System officials June 1 to announce a pilot program that will increase the number of information technology professionals in the state.<\/p>\n

Within the new undergraduate degree program, students can complete their first year of study while in high school, reducing time to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree and providing Wisconsin\u2019s workforce with needed talent more quickly.<\/p>\n

The NEW IT Alliance, which is a group of IT businesses from Green Bay to Oshkosh, is acting as an advisory group to identify Fox Valley\u2019s IT workforce needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the 21st-century workforce, the IT industry is booming,\u201d Walker said. \u201cTo bridge the skills gap and meet the growing demand for IT professionals in our state, we must provide our students with the knowledge and skills they need to pursue a degree and thrive in an IT job upon graduation from college. This pilot program jump-starts this process by allowing students interested in a career in IT to complete the first year of their four-year degree while still in high school. That\u2019s a win-win because it helps us fill high-demand jobs in IT while also keeping higher education more affordable for students and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
CAPP Outreach and Operations Director John Dobyns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThrough CAPP, students in hundreds of school districts throughout Wisconsin are already able to complete their first year of college while in high school, reducing their time to degree and providing Wisconsin\u2019s workforce with much-needed talent faster.\u00a0 This new program we unveiled today builds on the success and reputation of CAPP,\u201d UW Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt said.The pilot information technology program\u2014a partnership between UW Oshkosh, UW System, UW-Green Bay, the regional UW Colleges and supported by local technical colleges\u2014will build on the state\u2019s largest, long-time concurrent enrollment program, the Cooperative Academic Partnership Program (CAPP) at UW Oshkosh. CAPP is a UW Oshkosh initiative in collaboration with participating high schools that provides students an opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school.<\/p>\n

The program will initially coordinate with six to eight area high schools to provide courses in a variety of required general education areas and in-major courses in four degree pathways: information systems (IS), computer science, engineering technology and secondary education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis degree program demonstrates strong partnership and innovation between education and companies in Northeast Wisconsin,\u201d said John W. Kreul, chief information officer at Bemis, which is a member of the NEW IT Alliance. \u201cIt is a huge win for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

UW System President Ray Cross committed $900,000 in funding over three years to pilot the new program, beginning in the 2017-2018 academic year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWisconsin is at a critical turning point: we have an aging state population with a shrinking workforce\u2013and a decline in the state\u2019s birth rate. That means we are facing a workforce shortage in years to come, and we are working to address those concerns now,\u201d Cross said. \u201cStudents will complete their first year of college in high school and also complete internships with partner companies, which ultimately makes them more likely to be offered a job that keeps them here in Wisconsin to live, work and raise their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

About CAPP at UW Oshkosh
\n<\/strong>UW Oshkosh CAPP worked with more than 100 school districts and served more than 4,000 students throughout the state during the last academic year. UW Oshkosh\u2019s CAPP was the first program of its kind nationally accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) in Wisconsin. NACEP standards are built upon the best practices of exceptional, rigorous college programs.<\/p>\n

Junior and senior high school students who meet at least one of the following requirements may enroll in CAPP: They rank in the top 25 percent of their class; they have a GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale; or they have achieved an ACT score of 24 with a class rank in the top 50 percent. Other students also may \u00a0be eligible with approval of the University liaison, a high school adjunct instructor or the program director.<\/p>\n