LSU teams up with Florida company to provide online IT security certification courses

LSU is partnering with a Florida firm to offer online courses for internet technology security certifications that university officials said are badly needed in Louisiana and globally as the tech sector continues to grow.

The overarching goal of LSU Online and Continuing Education’s pact with SkillStorm is to upskill current IT professionals and offer tools for people interested in IT careers, said Patrick Box, LSU’s assistant director of continuing education marketing. SkillStorm, based in Jacksonville, partners with companies, universities and governments to boost the tech workforce.

The courses will provide test preparation for CompTIA’s certification exams, such as Security+, Network+ and A+. CompTIA is a nonprofit IT group that is considered the “gold standard” for IT credentialing, Box said. “To have a CompTIA certification carries a lot of weight within the industry.”

The partnership also aims to fill expected workforce and skill gaps in Louisiana’s tech sector. More than one-fifth of all tech job postings in Louisiana in 2022 were for occupations related to emerging technologies or for positions that required emerging tech skills, according to CompTIA’s 2023 State of the Tech Workforce report.

Box said those skill gaps exist because the tech sector is evolving so rapidly, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence. Companies of all sizes are also putting a greater emphasis on cybersecurity threats, whether internal or external.

“The industry and the technology is moving at such a rapid pace that it’s harder for people to get trained up on their own,” Box said. “The need for workers and the need for skilled workers, the demand is growing so fast that I think we just need to put these programs out there for people to take advantage of.”

Applications for the courses are already open at ce.lsu.edu, Box said. Anybody can sign up, and enrollment at LSU is not required. Neither is previous IT experience, though it helps if participants have about a year of hands-on experience under their belt.

Participants will be placed in classes that run every two months. The first will start July 24 and end Sept. 15.

Box said LSU does not have a specific target for how many people it wants to take the courses. However, there’s no limit on how many people can participate.

Box said the partnership is a “no-brainer” because it aligns with LSU’s Scholarship First agenda, which emphasizes defense investments.

Box added that, in addition to the certifications, participants will learn skills such as network defense, software troubleshooting and operating systems basics.

“You gain those kinds of competencies along the way, but understanding those competencies, not only does it translate to skills you can immediately take to your job, but you’re going to be well-prepped for those certification exams,” Box said.

SkillStorm will provide the curriculum and training for the courses. LSU will bring marketing expertise and brand alignment, Box said.

“Our work is about strengthening regional economies by empowering employers to tap into new talent pools — as well as upskilling opportunities within their own employee communities,” SkillStorm Chief Operating Officer Joe Mitchell said in a statement. “Together with LSU OCE, we’re creating a new model for higher education institutions and tech employers to join forces in ways that can both close talent gaps and create new pathways to economic mobility.”