Maricopa County Community College District joins national AI education consortium
Maricopa County Community College District has joined a new educational effort meant to increase the number of technician-level artificial intelligence professionals nationwide.
Tempe-based MCCCD is now part of the National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium, which is headed by Miami Dade College in Florida with additional leadership from Houston Community College. The consortium will receive $2.8 million from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education program to create new courses, certificates and degree programs.
The Valley community college system said there is a shortage of professionals able to use AI on real-world problems — and two-year colleges with programs and instructors in the field — as AI transforms industries, business and society.
“Collaboration among the three institutions will allow us to bridge the AI skills gap and develop transformative learning opportunities for our students,” MCCCD Chancellor Steven Gonzales said in a statement. “By embedding advanced AI training into our curriculum, MCCCD will equip the next generation of professionals with the experience needed to drive innovation and spur economic growth, creating both a national and global impact.”
The new consortium is intended to be a national hub for AI education, providing resources for community colleges to develop their own programs with the goal of creating a diverse and skilled workforce. The NAAIC member programs will also receive resources from industry partners including Intel, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Dell, IMB and Nvidia.
MCCCD already partnered with one of those companies — Intel — in 2020 when it launched Arizona’s first AI certificate and degree program. In 2022, Intel and the community college district unveiled a new artificial intelligence incubator lab to enhance studies for students enrolled in that program, called AI for Workforce.
The community college system currently offers associate degrees and certificates in AI and machine learning at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Estrella Mountain Community College. A bachelor’s degree program is planned for 2025 at CGCC.
“As we embark on this journey with the NAAIC initiative, we are not just preparing students for the future; we are shaping the future itself,” CGCC’s Dean of Instruction Gabriela Rosu said in a statement. “By placing innovation and AI at the forefront of our workforce and college faculty, we empower educators to lead the way in transforming our educational landscape.”