Miami Dade College, one of the most diverse institutions in the nation, enrolls more than 100,000 students from 167 nations, speaking 63 languages, across eight campuses and outreach centers.
Miami Dade College has offered iOS app development courses since Fall 2014 to help students build coding skills to prepare for careers in the app economy. At the end of a recent term faculty determined while students had the skills to move into app development, they were not securing career opportunities as easily as expected. To address this, faculty decided to adopt the Develop in Swift curriculum from Apple and App Development with Swift certifications administered by Certiport to help students learn Swift and earn recognition to stand out among app developers to establish a path to job placement.
Miami Dade College implemented faculty training using the Develop in Swift free online professional learning course and Apple Professional Learning services. Each faculty member learned to teach Swift using Apple’s curriculum to understand the scope of each certification to better prepare students for the exam. As a result, certifications were mapped to Miami Dade College’s iOS app development courses to incorporate each as part of the final exam.
At the end of the first term, following the Develop in Swift course, 64 students took the App Development with Swift Associate or App Development with Swift Certified User exam. The majority of students passed the exams and included a digital badge on their resume or on a professional networking site to convey their knowledge of Swift and appeal to local employers. News of students earning certifications spread quickly throughout the campus and community. The program increased enrollment by 350% this year, and the courses are now structured to support various learning styles to further build student success. And, the course is offered simultaneously as a for-credit course for degree seeking students, as well as a non-credit course—often for working professionals seeking to up-skill. The courses allow students to learn through synchronous and asynchronous environments and to prepare for certification exams, which proved effective among students.
In the next academic year, Miami Dade College plans to reach over 300 students by expanding the Swift course offerings to additional campuses within underserved communities with a goal to expand accessibility, professional development, workforce readiness, to realize more local internships.
Eduardo Salcedo, Instructor of Engineering, Technology, and Design at Miami Dade College said, “Learning how to code has always had its challenges. Swift is an excellent language and Apple makes it easy to learn by providing resources for anyone interested in learning to code. The certifications offered by Certiport give our students not only validation but a challenge that makes the journey enjoyable and gives them the confidence to start a career in app development.”
Learn more about App Development with Swift certification offered through Certiport: www.certiport.com/Apple.