The Big Tech revolution isn’t just changing how we work. It’s changing the entire economy, and nowhere is that more apparent than in higher education. Online degree programs are becoming more common by the day. In addition, big tech companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, Uber, and Amazon offer courses to their employees to help them stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace.
Universities like Northwestern Polytechnic University, San Jose State University, and the University of California at Irvine are the vanguard in offering online degrees in computer science and high-demand tech skills.
Northwestern Polytechnic University (NPU) is a Silicon Valley institution specializing in offering an array of technology programs to working professionals. However, unlike many universities, NPU has always focused on providing education to students already working in the industry. And they do so by leveraging their relationships with Silicon Valley companies like Cisco, Nvidia, IBM, and more.
Meeting an Insatiable Demand
The demand for tech skills is growing at a breakneck pace. More than 70% of the fastest-growing occupations in America require technology skills.
That’s why NPU has continued to grow over the last few years, more than doubling enrollment since 2014. In addition, other institutions like SJSU, which has been around for nearly a century, have also seen their computer science enrollment increase by over 60%.
One of the greatest challenges these institutions face is how to make programs available to students who are already working full-time jobs. Many tech companies now offer tuition reimbursement through online coursework, but it comes with a catch. You can’t get reimbursed for online degrees if they aren’t from an institution accredited by the regional accreditation boards.
So while many tech companies offer tuition reimbursement, very few students qualify for their employers to pay for their degree. Not only do you have to be employed full-time at a tech company, but you also have to take courses on campus in person. That makes it nearly impossible for university administrators to meet the incredibly high demand from tech companies to get their employees trained.
That’s why NPU has been so successful in expanding its enrollment by offering online degrees in computer science and other tech-related programs. As a result, they have managed to receive huge grants from both the State of California and the U.S. Department of Labor for their efforts in meeting this global demand for tech skills.
New Opportunities Abound
There is not a single employer that can’t benefit from computer scientists on staff, whether within their IT department, among data scientists, or even at their boardroom table with C-level executives.
Demand for tech skills is rising across the board, and employers are seeking out professionals with degrees in high-demand tech fields like computer science to fill those roles. As a result, there has never been a better time for both students and working professionals to pursue tech programs than now.
As technology becomes ever more influential in our everyday lives, interest in STEM-related degrees continues to grow. While there are many ways to get a tech degree, online programs have become an increasingly popular way for working professionals to get the education they need without having to quit their jobs or start over completely fresh.