Pittsburgh gets skills training | Vandy teams up with NSA

Pittsburgh gets new tech jobs training program

PITTSBURGH, PA–Local Pittsburgh organizations are creating job-ready workers with a new program, Innovation District Skills Alliance (IDSA). The program was designed to help meet the demand for workers while being inclusive by training residents from distressed areas who will earn “family-sustaining wages,” technical.ly reported. Participants will train for three to six weeks depending on the job they’re training for. They get a $600 stipend, along with additional support for transportation, computers and hotspots, which they can keep after the program.

Workforce strategies director at InnovatePGH Lindsay Powell has been building training programs for the organization. “For us, this is a critical mission — to provide access to underserved communities,” Powell told technical.ly. “The technology and innovation economy has so many benefits and we want to make sure that those who have been excluded are integrated into the workforce.”

NSA, Vanderbilt partner to advance innovation and education on modern conflict, emerging threats

NASHVILLE, TN–Vanderbilt University has signed a five-year partnership with the National Security Agency. The university hosted a Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats back in May, and announced the appointment of Vice Provost for Research Padma Raghavan as the leader of the task force, Initiative for the Study and Resolution of Modern Conflict. The group will advise university leadership on how to accelerate research in multiple areas, including data science, AI, cybersecurity and the social sciences, Vanderbilt University said.

“This partnership will bring together the sharpest and most innovative minds across military intelligence and higher education to address these urgent and complex issues,” Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. “Drawing on our strong track record with military-academic collaborations, Vanderbilt provides the intellectual forum to explore these challenges from new and cross-disciplinary perspectives.”