Otterbein University Awarded State Grant for Workforce Development

Posted Jan 02, 2020

Otterbein University recently received a Choose Ohio First grant from the State of Ohio and the Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to support computer science and related fields.

The grant of $272,661.48 will support a five-year program with the goal of helping to improve Ohio’s workforce development capacity to innovate and grow the economy.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) grant program Choose Ohio First: Computer Science will be utilized to recruit students into Otterbein’s computer science program — a field with a high number of in-demand jobs in Ohio — through computer science scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded to recruited students intending to major in computer science beginning with the first cohort in 2020.

Otterbein computer science degrees are gateways to a wide range of computing careers. The curriculum features broad programs teaching fundamental skills in programming, mathematics and logic, software engineering, databases, web technologies, and networking, forming a core around which new skills and technologies can easily be added. Combining this technical expertise with training in critical thinking, communication skills, and social responsibility makes Otterbein students desirable and productive candidates for jobs in computing from the time they graduate until they retire. In particular, students are well qualified for competitive jobs as computer programmers, software developers, computer systems analysts, database administrators, network and computer system administrators, and information security analysts.

These jobs are all listed at OhioMeansJobs.com as in-demand jobs in Ohio for students with a bachelor’s degree. Now is the time for Ohio to train for these jobs and expand its tech sector since the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects national growth of 13% in computer and information technology jobs from 2016 to 2026, faster than the overall average.