Old Dominion University (ODU) received $29 million as part of the Commonwealth Tech Talent Investment Program. This program was created to increase the talent coming out of Virginia, and to “produce an additional 765 bachelor’s recipients in computer science and computer engineering,” according to a statement from President Broderick.
“With today’s announcement, we are educating a workforce that will fill jobs at hundreds of tech companies around the Commonwealth, including at Amazon, helping boost our economy and quality of life in every corner of Virginia,” said Gov. Northam.
According to the proposal for the Talent Investment Program, the program was created to fill the growing needs of tech firms in Virginia, including Amazon.
The Tech Talent Investment Program grew from the deal between Amazon and Virginia earlier this year. The partnership proposal resulted in Amazon agreeing to move its headquarters to Northern Virginia. It states, “Accordingly, Virginia is uniquely positioned to be Amazon’s growth partner for HQ2, with a willingness to invest alongside Amazon.”
One of the goals of the partnership is to create “a natural feeder program for Amazon and other high-tech firms.”The desired outcome of the partnership is to double the degree completion levels in less than a decade. Specifically increasing the amount of degrees “by at least 12,500-17,500 degrees in excess of current levels over 20 years.”
ODU is one of 11 colleges that received funds for his project. The other schools are Virginia Tech, George Mason, The University of Virginia, College of William & Mary, Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, Radford University, Christopher Newport University, Virginia State University and Norfolk State University.
In an email sent out by the university, President Broderick explained that the ODU’s first initiative is to start an online bachelor’s program in computer engineering.
He continues to state, “I am confident that, working together, we will reach these ambitious goals, benefiting Old Dominion, the Commonwealth and, most importantly, our students.”
