New Pathways
The Department of Computer Science at UA Little Rock has partnered with the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS) to unveil Support Pathways for Students, an innovative program that successfully merges scholarships, internships, and apprenticeships. The program aims to bridge a computer science and cybersecurity workforce gap in Arkansas.
ACDS not only has federal funding for internships, but ACDS also has a job counseling program for participants. ACDS has also developed a website specific for UA Little Rock students to apply. High school seniors and freshmen may apply for one of many endowed scholarships. After the sophomore year, these students will apply for a summer internship with one of over 115 ACDS industry partners around the state of Arkansas. After a successful internship, the students will apply their junior year for an apprenticeship; this will last through the senior year. The student will then graduate with real work experience!
Looking Forward
ACDS will do all of the placement work once the student applies, so the program is a win-win for students and for UA Little Rock. Dr. Albert Baker has been busy over the past few years since becoming chair of the Department of Computer Science; this program is proof of those efforts. Dr. Baker revived the Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) for the department in 2019. This led to successful partnerships with industry leaders around the state.
“I’m confident that what we are doing at UA Little Rock will have a rippling effect on the entire state,” Seth Cook emphasizes. Cook is a student and works for the Department of Computer Science at UA Little Rock and for the Emerging Analytics Center, a virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) research center at UA Little Rock. “Dr. Baker is an asset to the University and to the city. I am excited and proud to watch the department over the next decade. We are ready!”
See the feature in Arkansas Business (Subscribers)
