LaGuardia Launches CUNY 2X Tech Academy with Ribbon Cutting and Career Panel

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (May 22, 2024) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY hosted a ribbon cutting on May 20 marking the launch of the CUNY 2X Tech Academy at LaGuardia, an initiative to help more young people prepare for and potentially secure fulfilling careers in the fast-growing tech sector. Supported by $3 million in funding from the Office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the Academy provides career readiness coaching, academic advisement, professional development seminars. Furthermore, the academy assists with internship/job applications, and apprenticeships for students in computer science and related majors. Currently, more than 1,100 LaGuardia students are pursuing associate degrees in Computer Science, Computer Technology, Cybersecurity (formerly known as Network Administration & Information Security), and Programming And Software Development.

A career panel that followed the ribbon cutting featured LaGuardia leadership, and representatives of partner organizations and NYC employers involved in the program, including: Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia; Dr. Billie Gastic Rosado, Provost of LaGuardia; Brian Shoicket, AVP of Emerging Tech Initiatives for the NYC Economic Development Corporation; Brendan Collins, Executive Director of the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline; and Caroline Huang of Wells Fargo.

“The CUNY 2X Tech Academy at LaGuardia aligns with our focus of providing a paid internship for every LaGuardia student, in all majors, during their LaGuardia experience,” said President Adams. “This is important to show our students the real-world applications of what they’re learning, and how it plays out at a company, in a job”

The Academy builds on LaGuardia’s partnerships with Mastercard and Wells Fargo. Mastercard has hosted two cohorts of cybersecurity students in apprenticeships working with cybersecurity, product development, and related computer engineering teams—12 students from the first cohort were hired for full-time jobs at the global financial business. In a similar model, an apprenticeship program is underway with Wells Fargo to help the company fill critical positions in programming and software development.

“We are pleased to be bringing the CUNY 2X Tech program to LaGuardia students,” said Dr. Abderrazak Belkharraz, chairperson of LaGuardia’s Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science (MEC) Department, and Director of the LaGuardia CUNY 2X Tech Academy. “We are grateful to Mayor Adams and his office for the generous funding—of which $1.5 million will fund potential internships and apprenticeships for students in computer science and related majors with NYC employers. The remaining funding will come to LaGuardia to support programming for the Academy and the hiring of a tenure-track faculty member, an academic advisor and career coach—new positions that will be posted soon.”

During a previous mayoral administration, the CUNY 2X Tech program was first launched in 2017, serving several CUNY four-year colleges. In December 2023, Mayor Adams expanded the program to LaGuardia and four other CUNY colleges—bringing the program to community colleges for the first time. Designed in partnership with NYC Tech Talent Pipeline, as well as with industry and academic leaders, this initiative brings together LaGuardia and NYC tech employers to better align tech education with industry needs and expand access to quality tech careers.

“We’re thrilled to have LaGuardia Community College join the CUNY 2X Tech community, which creates critical onramps to economic and career mobility by embedding technical knowledge and career readiness in its training model and helps prepare its graduates for the careers of their dreams,” said Brendan Collins, Executive Director of the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline. “More than 50% of CUNY students enrolled in bachelor’s programs are transfers, and expanding the program to the two-year colleges is a no-brainer. LaGuardia has already brought so much energy and creativity to their approach with 2X Tech, and we can’t wait to see what the next few years looks like.”

“Assisting students with internships and apprenticeships is critical to building a professional repertoire and helping students create connections that may lead to full-time employment,” said Dr. Praveenkumar Khethavath, Director of LaGuardia’s Computer Science Program, MEC Professor, and Director of the Academy. “The LaGuardia CUNY 2X Tech Academy will provide career coaching to students in computer science-related majors, potentially enabling them to secure rewarding internships and jobs.”

Professional development seminars will help ensure that students have the technical skills needed to fulfill employer needs and the soft skills necessary to be successful during internships and apprenticeships. Topics include Managerial Aspects of a Career in Computing Seminar; CompTIA: The Computing Technology Industry Association Seminar; CompTIA Network+ seminar; Software development using C# and .NET Seminar; Data Science in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Seminar; and Mastering Java Development. Students who complete the seminars receive certificates and badges that they can add to their CVs.

Goals of the Academy include increasing graduation rates of students in computer science and related degree programs; assist students in their pursuit of internships, apprenticeships, and jobs; expanding industry-aligned curriculum and instruction in computer science and related disciplines; providing tech-specific academic and career advisement; and making active strides to produce student outcomes that are equitable.

For more information about LaGuardia’s CUNY 2X Tech Program, visit cuny2x.github.io; call (718) 482-5414 or email cuny2x@lagcc.cuny.edu.

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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 degrees and certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to educate New Yorkers seeking new skills and careers. As an institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of underserved populations. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students while providing them with access to a high quality, affordable college education.

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