Palm Beach State College has filed a legislative bill for $250,000 in funding for a Coding and Cognitive Technologies Program.
HB 2855 – Coding and Cognitive Technologies Program is sponsored by Representative David Silvers and Senator Bobby Powell and will be considered during the 2018 Florida legislative session. This would establish a Palm Beach State College program focusing on Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Predictive Analysis, & Machine Learning.
From Palm Beach State College’s 2018 Legislative Priorities:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a million more computing jobs than computer science graduates by 2020. Coding has become the language of the 21st Century, and PBSC, through its mission, is dedicated to providing a program to assist with this $200 billion industry. Coding is a major topic of focus around the world. It touches every facet of modern life and is a critical literacy for everyone. Learning to code unlocks creativity, develops problem-solving skills, opens career paths, and builds an understanding of how our world works. Many governments, foundations, and thought leaders are calling for coding programs in education.
To better fulfill workforce needs, this turnkey-ready program would align with the industry and be directly transferrable. Potential areas included in the curriculum are Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Predictive Analysis, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, etc. It will appeal to those with and without degrees, is STEM focused, and will remain flexible by providing a marketable skillset through credentials with the opportunity to lead to a degree. Palm Beach State College has agreed to a $250,000 match, which will include funding for software license fees, computer lab materials, wiring and network server expenses.
The total cost to establish the program is $500,000.