The cybersecurity initiative, which launched at Wright College last year, recently graduated its first cohort. Department of Defense’s internal cybersecurity training program. Starting this summer, Kennedy-King College will also be host to a cybersecurity boot camp with a curriculum modeled after the U.S. According to the spokesperson, 85 percent of the City Colleges’ student population comes from a minority background. The initiative could also provide a pathway to tech for a broader range of students. The program’s first cohort can accommodate up to 40 students across two campus locations: Truman College, located in Uptown, and Kennedy-King College in Englewood on Chicago’s South Side.Ī spokesperson for City Colleges of Chicago said the two campuses were chosen to accommodate students from across the whole city. To be eligible for the program, prospective students need to apply through the City College’s website by March 5. That program, slated to launch in early April, is now accepting applications. Late last year, City Colleges of Chicago announced plans for a free bootcamp program for aspiring coders.

Stepping up to that challenge, the city’s community colleges are providing locals with the tools and skill sets tech employers are seeking. In Chicago, like most places, competition for technical talent is only getting fiercer.

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