Through the initiative, SkillStorm instructors will teach the curriculum for Humboldt’s new certification training courses. Offered through the College of Extended Education & Global Engagement, the courses are slated to launch over the next few years.
Humboldt students will have direct access to SkillStorm courses–taught by industry experts–covering the most in-demand tech skills, including AWS, CompTIA, and Salesforce, using SkillStorm’s unique training platform.
Access to training and skills that employers need is a win-win for Humboldt students and California’s workforce.
“Our partnership with SkillStorm is an incredible opportunity to put students on a path to tech careers and become the next generation of innovative tech leaders,” says Cindy Bumgarner, Dean for the College of Extended Education & Global Engagement.
At the same time, SkillStorm will continue to create a robust pipeline of home-grown tech talent that can meet California's tech workforce needs.
California is the tech capital of the world, with 1.88 million workers and nearly 50,000 tech employers strong. According to CompTIA’s 2023 “State of the Tech Workforce” report, the Golden State is ranked #1 in the nation for net tech employment, #1 in growth in employer job postings for tech roles, and #2 for year-over-year job gains.
The state of California is also home to global high-tech innovation hub Silicon Valley, where Big Tech giants the likes of Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Intel, and NVIDIA have planted roots alongside tech startups working on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and Big Data. Major cities, including Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego, are also among the top metropolitan areas for tech industry job growth, particularly for roles in software development, systems engineering, and network architecture.
This is no accident: California not only hosts the top ten AI investors in the world, but also the nation’s largest and most diverse public university systems–including the California State University system. This creates the right conditions for revolutionary technological advancement, high-wage tech industry employment, and persistent employer demand for qualified talent with bleeding-edge tech skills.
Certification training courses such as those offered through Cal Poly Humboldt will enable employers to keep pace with the ever-evolving tech industry by providing training to their current workforce, while also preparing the next generation of qualified tech professionals.
“As California’s tech industry continues to advance, it is critical that employers, higher ed institutions, and training providers band together to ensure that today’s workforce doesn’t fall behind,” said Joe Mitchell, COO at SkillStorm. “Our work is about not just addressing immediate tech skill needs, but building a resilient and future-proof talent pool that enables businesses across the state to prepare for tomorrow’s world of work.”
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About SkillStorm
SkillStorm is bringing together Fortune 500 employers, universities, and government agencies to build tomorrow’s highly skilled tech workforce. Through partnerships with platforms like Pega, Salesforce, and ServiceNow, we help working learners and aspiring tech experts build in-demand skills and earn industry-recognized certifications to compete in an increasingly dynamic economy. Our work is rooted in the belief that closing skill gaps and boosting economic mobility are two sides of the same coin, and that new approaches to training can help to both expand the pool of skilled tech talent and create new pathways to opportunity.