Austin Community College (ACC) and longtime IT partner, IBM, announce a new apprenticeship program in Central Texas for students seeking careers in IT.

The program, funded by a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) grant, aims to train 350 apprentices at IBM over the next four years. 

“Everyone is scrambling to find skilled employees in the IT industry, and this is one of the best possible ways to build a skilled workforce,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president/CEO. “It is a win, win, win for the student, the college, and for business to have access to a pool that is being trained and skilled.”

In the past five years, the Central Texas tech industry has grown almost 25 percent and is expected to continue to grow. 

“When you look at what is becoming of the industry, there are a lot of jobs that are becoming available for cybersecurity, blockchain, and (artificial intelligence) that we cannot fill,” says Dexter Henderson, IBM senior location executive and vice president. “By going and getting folks with two-year degrees and training them to exactly what you need, they can help fill that gap.”

ACC is one of four community colleges awarded funds through the DOL grant. 

Other colleges include San Jacinto College, Alamo Community College, and the Dallas Community College District.

IBM also is contributing $4.5 million statewide in matching funds.

For more information about ACC’s IT programs, visit austincc.edu/csit.