Increasing the Cloud System Administration Services Workforce through Skills-Based Education and Training

The Information Technology (IT) workforce is chronically understaffed and predictions show that the shortage of IT workers will reach alarming levels in a few years. The traditional role of a systems administrator was to manage servers, computers, and applications residing inside an organization. Cloud vendors offer new technology capabilities that enable organizations to rapidly and cost effectively move IT services to the cloud. As the IT infrastructure in this country grows more dependent on, cloud technologies, there is an urgent need for systems administrators who are skilled in these technologies. The College of Southern Nevada aims to address the shortage of skilled systems administrators by developing a program that will train students to manage multi-vendor cloud systems. The project team will collaborate with local IT professionals to ensure that the new program will meet regional workforce needs. Recruitment efforts for the program will emphasize inclusion of women and hospitality workers in the region who are facing increased unemployment and underemployment. This project can provide a pathway to stable and lucrative careers for those who are unexpectedly unemployed or underemployed, including those whose employment was highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The College with their Business and Industry Leadership Team to develop courses, skills certificates, and certificates of achievement to address the shortage of qualified cloud computing support technicians. The resulting program will feature a multi-vendor cloud computing administration program that will provide local industry with skilled technicians who are ready to work and capable of supporting both on-premises and cloud-based systems. The new program will focus upon providing training for both vendor agnostic and vendor-specific solutions. As a result, students will be prepared to support the transition of industries from traditional IT infrastructure to multiple cloud vendors. The program's curricular approach will integrate experiential and project-based learning to provide students with real-world learning, supporting a seamless transition from the classroom to the workforce. Free summer cloud training seminars will be offered to the community through collaboration with the local school district, local workforce development, and IT industry groups. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.