Springboard, National University Launch Partnership Focused on Tech Careers

EDUCATION: Helping Prepare Students for High-Growth Tech Careers

San Diego’s homegrown National University, which recently merged with Northcentral University, is now adding another partner to its resume.

Springboard, the San Francisco-based workforce development company that prepares students for in-demand careers through comprehensive, project-based and online mentor-led programs, will now be in alliance with National University.

NU will facilitate the delivery of five of Springboard’s career tracks to students and prospective learners. National University is a veteran-founded nonprofit institution that primarily works with adult learners, online students, educators and members of the military community.

“We value the demonstrated outcomes Springboard delivers to students,” said Susan Zukowski, vice president, Workforce Education Solutions Training and Development of National University. “The introduction of these courses to our existing and prospective student population will broaden the opportunities they have access to, and with a high degree of confidence that these courses will lead to high-demand, future-proof careers.”

First Courses

The partnership between the two will start with the launch of three courses: Cybersecurity, Software Engineering and UI/UX Design.

Cybersecurity students will participate in a 360-hour bootcamp that covers industry fundamentals, systems and network security, vulnerability assessment, and security operations, followed by a capstone project designed to showcase specialized skills to potential employers.

Software Engineering covers key aspects of front-end web development, back-end web development, databases, and data structures and algorithms throughout the software engineering curriculum and includes two capstone projects.

UI/UX Design students will gain hands-on experience in design thinking, user research, heuristics and interaction design, sketching and wireframing, prototyping, and more to build a diverse skill set and portfolio in both UI and UX design.

Two more career tracks will be coming soon, Springboard officials say.

“We’ve been discussing this partnership with National University for quite some time,” said Sanam Raza, general manager of University Partnerships at Springboard. “Springboard and National University share many of the same values – we both provide accessible and flexible education opportunities for non-traditional students and working professionals looking to upskill, shift career paths, or get a promotion in their current industry. We’re both also committed to driving outcomes for the individuals who go through our programs.

“In today’s shifting economy, it’s imperative that we remain persistent in expanding access to education that meets the student’s needs. National University has been delivering on that promise for over 50 years, and we’re excited to our expertise to offer valuable pathways to new careers for any and all students.”

The connection with NU marks Springboard’s third university partnership to launch this year alone, as the company continues to expand its profile.

Springboard, founded by Parul Gupta and Gautam Tambay in 2013, has seen rapid growth in its university partnership portfolio to date, increasing alliances by 60% since 2021 – and doubling its total partnerships since this time last year.

More than 20,000 students across more than 100 countries have used Springboard to advance their careers, according to the company.

National University, part of the NU system - which also includes City University of Seattle – has an enrollment of about 42,000 students. NU is the second largest private university in California – behind the University of Southern California.

Springboard’s curriculum is developed by industry experts, and students have access to hands-on support from industry professionals and guidance from career coaches on building a network and landing a job. National University students who enroll in the courses will gain real-world experience and develop unique portfolios of work, Springboard leaders say.

“We’re confident that by working alongside National University, we can increase accessibility of education for high-demand tech fields, broadening the opportunities that National University’s existing and prospective students have access to, and ultimately helping to shrink today’s skills gap,” Raza said.

Enrollment for the first three tracks opened Aug. 9, and classes will begin Sept. 12.

GSV Ventures, a women-led venture capital firm that focuses on the education sector, named Springboard one of its 2022 GSV EdTech 150, an annual list of the world’s leading, most transformational growth companies in digital learning. ■