Fall 2024 Updates: Key Events, New Projects, and Opportunities Await!
Thank you for opening up the Fall 2024 BayICT Partnership Newsletter. There is much to share. The fall convening is rapidly approaching. Major regional projects are getting exciting results. The BayICT Tech Talk schedule is set through Spring 2025 along with upcoming opportunities for professional development. There are plenty of possibilities for collaboration and getting involved. We hope to see you on the 14th!
Looking Forward To Seeing You Next Week
The BayICT Partnership, our ICT/Digital Media sector’s regional advisory, meets at least twice a year in the spring and fall. Participants represent local business & industry, workforce development boards, and community-based organizations with a common mission to prepare work-ready and diverse tech talent that meets the needs of Bay Area employers. See the Spring 2024 meeting report.
Please join us virtually on November 14th, 4:00 – 5:00 for our Fall 2024 convening. Our team looks forward to…
- Providing an overview/update of the Bay Region’s communities of practice, projects, and initiatives preparing students for regional workforce needs in the ICT/DM Sector
- Re-Introducing the BACCC ICT/DM sector team
- Reviewing Spring 2024 meeting outcomes and next steps
- Sharing regional project updates and partner announcements
To receive the calendar invite, please register here.
Regional Strategy for the Sector
While the role of Regional Director for Employer Engagement for the ICT/DM sector remains open, the BACCC continues to give the sector high priority. As is the case for the industry itself, key initiatives are driven by emerging technologies. The region is using more collaborative approaches to address how our career education programs stay current and keep our partners and communities of practice engaged. There are synergies across these efforts and the Region plans to tap the leads to develop its overall sector strategy. Here are active initiatives and projects and the leads:
- AI Regional Joint Venture: Dan Montoya, Principal Consultant, 66 Training Services LLC
- AI Workgroup (Statewide): Rock Pfotenhauer, BACCC Co-Chair
- BayICT and Regional Joint Venture (RJV) Marketing & Communications: Lauren Tabata, Strategic Designs LLC
- BayICT Partnership: Olivia Herriford, BACCC Project Lead
- Employer and Industry Engagement: Jeff D’Andria, BACCC Subregional Director – San Francisco/Peninsula
- Generative AI Entrepreneurship Program (Statewide): Dan Montoya, Principal Consultant, 66 Training Services LLC
- Regional Virtual Production Academy RJV: Olivia Herriford, BACCC Project Lead
AI - RJV Update
New curriculum from Laney College’s AI Center of Excellence
Laney College’s AI Center of Excellence in collaboration with the Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC), is thrilled to announce the development of a cutting-edge AI curriculum designed to equip students with essential skills for today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape. This curriculum, crafted with input from industry experts and educators, emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world applications, making it both accessible and impactful for community college students.
Starting this December and continuing through March of 2025, we’ll be launching a roadshow to showcase the model AI curriculum across Bay Area community colleges. The webinars will offer a first hand look at the curriculum’s structure, tools, and resources, and invite institutions to adopt it as part of their own course offerings. We’re excited to connect with educators and administrators to expand AI education and better prepare students for careers in the tech sector.
Gen AI + Entrepreneurship
We are excited to announce the launch of a statewide curriculum development initiative aimed at equipping students with the skills needed to thrive at the intersection of entrepreneurship and generative AI. In response to the rapidly growing demand for expertise in these fields, we are designing a pilot five-course certificate program that will be offered in 2025. This curriculum will not only cover foundational concepts in entrepreneurship but will also delve deeply into the technical and practical aspects of generative AI, preparing students to innovate and create with cutting-edge AI tools and frameworks.
To make this initiative a success, we are seeking faculty interested in contributing to the development of web applications and Python-based coursework focused on generative AI. This is a unique opportunity to help shape a forward-thinking program that will set a new standard in AI and entrepreneurial education. Interested faculty should reach out to discuss how their expertise can play a pivotal role in this groundbreaking curriculum. Please contact Renee Albrecht to learn more – renee@66training.com.
Exciting Update: Google Prompting Essentials is Here!
Research found that 70% of college graduates think generative AI should be incorporated into courses. Furthermore, the majority of employers say they’d rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them. To help BACCCmeet student demand and realize the opportunity AI skilling presents for them, we’re excited to announce that the new Google Prompting Essentials course is now available!
Prompting Essentials complements our AI Essentials course, which focuses on foundational AI concepts and definitions, and is now the most popular generative AI course on Coursera of all time, globally.
Prompting Essentials teaches you how to give clear and specific instructions to generative AI – known as prompting – helping you to unlock more of AI’s benefits. In 5 easy steps, you’ll learn how to prompt effectively and make AI work for you.
Through hands-on exercises and real-world examples, you’ll learn how to use AI to:
- Save time on daily tasks: Craft tailored emails, brainstorm creative content, build tables and trackers, and quickly summarize lengthy documents.
- Uncover and share powerful insights: Identify patterns in data, create compelling visuals, and even rehearse presentations.
- Tackle complex projects: Transform abstract ideas into actionable steps, using AI to role-play conversations, and get expert feedback.
Taught by AI experts at Google, this self-paced course is under 10 hours, requires no prior experience, and can be applied across any generative AI tool or model. Additionally, you’ll learn about responsible AI practices like evaluating your outputs for bias and errors. Throughout the course, you’ll build a library of reusable prompts, so the next time that you need a little help from AI, you’re not prompting from scratch. When you complete the course, you’ll earn a certificate from Google to share with your network and employers.
Education institutions can offer the Google Prompting Essentials course directly to students as a stand-alone opportunity or integrated into academic programs. Starting today, you can add the Google Prompting Essentials course to your existing program at no cost. For a step-by-step guide on how to add new content to your course catalog, please refer to the Catalog Sub Tab section of the Coursera Admin Guide. Please also help us spread the word across your promotional channels. You can find a toolkit with suggested copy and guidelines here.
ATTENTION Fellow faculty members interested in AI:
The ASCCC has approved the formation of an AI caucus, and we are excited to invite interested faculty to join. The next meeting will take place during the upcoming Plenary on Saturday, November 9th, at 1 pm (PST).
Join via Zoom: Meeting Link
Faculty members interested in participating can reach out to one of the co-chairs—Mark Branom, Suha, or Tuan—or simply attend the meeting on Saturday. Resources for the caucus are available here: AI Caucus Google Drive.
For additional questions, contact Mark Branom, Co-chair of the ASCCC Gen AI Caucus, at mark.branom@sjcc.edu.
RVPA - RJV Update
Berkeley City College: Winners of the Second Annual BEST HORROR SHOT!
We’re thrilled to celebrate Berkeley City College student Yunha Kim, director of Night of the Living Dodo, for earning 2nd place in the prestigious Best Horror Shot competition. Competing against top talents from over 12 countries, Yunha’s visionary approach to virtual production and camera tracking shone brightly in a highly competitive field. This impressive award is a testament to Yunha’s creativity, dedication, and skill in advancing the art of horror storytelling.
The competition was a global showcase of both student and professional talent, with each entry exploring new realms of on-screen terror and behind-the-scenes innovation. We’re immensely proud of Yunha’s achievement and can’t wait to see where their talent leads next!
Welcoming Gail Pendleton To the RVPA Team
We’re thrilled to welcome Gail as the RVPA’s new Student Success Specialist! With 15 years at Berkeley City College, where she excelled as an Enrollment Services and Assessment Coordinator, Gail brings invaluable expertise in supporting student enrollment, assessment, and guidance.
In this role, Gail will help RVPA students navigate program requirements, admissions, enrollment, and financial aid processes. Her experience strengthens our support system, ensuring students have clear paths to completion and success. She will also work closely with the RVPA Program Director and faculty to promote the program and keep all partners aligned, reinforcing our commitment to student success and program excellence.
Celebrating Ohlone's Achievement in Course Alignment!
Congratulations to Monica Cappiello on this outstanding achievement! Monica has successfully aligned her online course, DAID-103, with the rigorous CVC-OEI Course Design Rubric—an exciting milestone for both the Digital Arts and Interactive Design program and Ohlone College. As our first DAID course to meet these standards, it sets a new benchmark for quality and innovation.
The Peer Online Course Review (POCR) team extends their heartfelt congratulations and deep appreciation to Monica for her dedication and countless hours invested in elevating online student engagement and success. Way to go, Monica!
BayICT Tech Talk Update
The monthly BayICT Tech Talks aim to keep students, faculty, and staff informed on program and partnership opportunities aligned with BACCC initiatives and strategies. Below is the schedule through Spring 2025.
December 12th, 6-7pm | Gen AI Education and Career Pathways |
January 30th, 6-7pm | RVPA Info Session |
February 27th, 6-7pm | BHM: Regional Partnerships and Collaborations |
March 27th, 6-7pm | AI Project Update |
April 24th, 6-7pm | CyberLeague Alum (Where are they now) |
Did you miss last month's tech talk?? That is okay! We recorded it and have it available online:
The October Tech Talk by Bob “BZ” Zinga, Roadmaps to Cybersecurity Careers, was one of the most informative to date on the topic. If you missed it, we encourage you to check it out and share it with your cyber students and skillbuilders.
Faculty Professional Development
The Western Academy Support and Training Center continues to offer year-round faculty development opportunities. The last WASTC fall instructor courses begin on Nov 9 and will go for 5 weeks. If you miss the fall offerings, winter courses begin January 25, 2024. Get the details and the full 2024-2025 schedule here.
11/9/24 Courses
- IT Essentials
- CCNA SRWE [2]
- CyberOps
- DevNet
1/25/25 Courses
- CCNA ITN [1]
- CCNA ENSA [3]
- Network Security
- CCNP Resource Class TBD*
Upcoming Events
December 12th, 6-7pm | Gen AI Education and Career Pathways |
January 30th, 6-7pm | RVPA Info Session |
February 27th, 6-7pm | BHM: Regional Partnerships and Collaborations |
March 27th, 6-7pm | AI Project Update |
April 24th, 6-7pm | CyberLeague Alum (Where are they now) |
May 22nd, 6-7pm | TBD |