UofSC launches new IBM Skills Academy training course in Data Science
Posted on: February 1, 2021; Updated on: February 1, 2021
By Jeff Stensland, stenslan@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-767-5508
The University of South Carolina’s Office of Innovation, Partnerships, and Economic Engagement (OIPEE), in partnership with IBM and the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator, is offering the latest iteration of the IBM Skills Academy with a course in Data Science.
Participants who complete the course will earn a digital badge that reflects an ability to use advanced data science methods and tools to implement unique data models that can solve challenging problems across all industries. The course is designed so that participants can benefit and apply lessons to whatever career field they choose to pursue.
Last summer, UofSC hosted its first IBM Skills Academy course in Artificial Intelligence and graduated its first group of students. This new practitioner-level course in Data Science builds off that success and will teach participants how to extract knowledge from massive amounts of data, using methods such as statistics, machine learning, data mining, and predictive analytics. No matter the field of study or career path, a working knowledge of data science can help students, workers and organizations solve problems and gain a competitive advantage.
“Our mission is to help close the gap between academia and industry by leveraging our partnerships to give our students and graduates the necessary skills to be highly productive employees on day one,” said OIPEE Executive Director Bill Kirkland. “This goes for the community as well as the state’s flagship university, UofSC aspires to take the feedback we receive from industry and help build up the state’s workforce that can fill the demand for high-paying jobs, both now and in the future.”
OIPEE will host informational webinars. Register online for the Wednesday (Feb. 3) webinar or for the Feb. 9 webinar. Both informational sessions begin at 5:30 p.m. The course begins Feb. 16, also at 5:30pm. The Data Science course will be taught by faculty from the College of Engineering and Computing and will explore concepts, relevant technologies and industry use cases. Classes will run twice a week and will include a mix of lectures, videos of subject matter experts, and interactive labs.
About IBM Skills Academy at UofSC
IBM Skills Academy is a comprehensive training and badging program designed to empower people of various backgrounds with the skills needed to excel in the job market. Through a blended learning approach, participants learn at their own pace that best suits their individual learning style. Once students pass the final exam, they will earn an IBM Digital Badge — a digital recognition of skills which can be shared on social and professional networks. The badges — verified and administered by Pearson VUE Acclaim — can also be part of users’ digital signature and feature on networking platforms like LinkedIn. Future courses will be offered in Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, and Design Thinking.
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