Microsoft along with its partner Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is about to launch its Software-and-Systems Academy in Jacksonville.
The academy be set up at Embry-Riddle's Jacksonville campus in the 8800 block of Baymeadows Way. It will provide high-tech job training and counseling for qualified veterans and service men and women preparing to leave the military.
Thomas Dawkins with Microsoft’s Office of Military Affairs, said they’re an excellent fit for that kind of work.
“A lot of veterans come with leadership skills. They’re able to deal with ambiguity. They know how to troubleshoot. These are great skills for the IT industry that we truly value,” said Dawkins.
Dawkins said there’s a high demand for business systems and software developers and testers as well as cybersecurity analysts and administrators. The academy’s 18 week technical management program is designed to meet that need.
"It’s not the standard academic content that most people are used to. This is getting your hands dirty and really getting in to the technology to where, whenever you come out of this program, you have the technical competencies to gaining a career in the tech field,” said Dawkins.
The Jacksonville program starts in August.
The program is already offered at a number of other U-S military bases. Dawkins said 96-percent of the 1,000 students who have gone it so far have gotten IT jobs within two months of graduation.
Additional information about the program is available on Microsoft's website.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
