Miami Dade College cybersecurity enrollment grows

Miami Dade College technology workforce training programs continue to be some of the most popular among students.

In the past two years, cybersecurity and data analytics enrollment numbers have grown significantly compared to four years when there was minimal enrollment to none, said Antonio Delgado, vice president of innovation and technology partnershixps for MDC.

After getting recognition from the National Security Agency National Center for Academic Excellence in cyber defense this year, over 600 students have enrolled in the cybersecurity training program, he said.

“The beauty of the programs that we’re building is that it’s based on stackable credentials, which means you can get into the program at any skill level,” Mr. Delgado said. “Students can come in and out at different points. Most of our courses are in the evenings and we offer them at multiple locations and even online.”

A similar trend in rising enrollment numbers is being noticed in the data analytics program, with over 200 students taking the course this fall.

“We are seeing most of the population in this program is actually existing professionals and they see the value of data analytics,” he said. “They come back to complete a degree or a certificate or an associate to get the skills to really aspire for a better job in any reasonably high paying job.”

Cloud computing is also on the rise, with over 100 students currently enrolled in the program.

“This is the first cloud computing degree being offered in the State of Florida,” Mr. Delgado added. “Cloud computing companies are desperate to have more cloud talent at large and because of that demand, current students are getting jobs before even getting a bachelor’s degree.”

MDC’s role is to educate the next generation and to show them the opportunities not only with cybersecurity but data analysis, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, and create a pipeline in Miami for those jobs, he said.

“We had a 4% increase of jobs in the technology industry compared to this time last year, which already had an increase from the previous year,” Mr. Delgado said.

Bringing in experts is also a heavy component of what the college does to always keep faculty trained and certified, he said. That’s why it’s essential to partner with leading companies like Microsoft, Amazon, IBM and Intel.

“We also have an advisory committee for each of these areas where we connect with the local professionals that are leading in the implementation of those technologies,” Mr. Delgado added. “And at the end of the day, we are creating pathways to employment for those 600 students in cybersecurity to secure full-time roles and, most importantly, to stay local.”

With a list of 22 courses and growing, the program is completely free for every resident in Miami-Dade County, he said.

“We have dispersed over $1.5 million in scholarships already,” Mr. Delgado said, “and we’re going to continue to allocate those funds for the rest of the year.”