The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and Intel Corporation have announced the opening of a new AI incubator lab at the Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) campus.
The lab will expand access and resources to students enrolled in Intel’s “AI for Workforce” program.
Intel provided CGCC with an AI curriculum, technical advice, and a $60 thousand technology grant to purchase cutting-edge equipment for the lab. The equipment includes state-of-the-art workstations, monitors, and open-source Intel AI software tools to implement new AI technology.
“The Maricopa County Community College District was the first community college to partner with Intel on their AI for Workforce program in 2020. Within the last two years, we have been able to see our students gain new AI skills, and we are proud to have our first graduating class from the AI program this spring,” said MCCCD Interim Chancellor, Dr. Steven R. Gonzales. “This lab is critical to providing the necessary tools for their education, and we are appreciative of Intel, Dell, and AZ commerce for the designated space so our facility and students can thrive.”
MCCCD’s AI incubator lab was made possible through a partnership with Intel, Dell, and the State of Arizona. The lab is meant for “students aspiring to land jobs in areas ranging from business to nursing to healthcare – and other professions which increasingly draw on AI technology,” according to the release.
The lab will offer several AI courses, including Introduction to Machine Learning, AI for Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, AI for Business, and more to meet the computing needs of the AI for Workforce program course load.
“We are committed to the re-skilling of the American workforce and to advancing diversity and inclusion to ensure that the next generation of technologists are prepared and provided opportunities for AI education,” said Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group.
Currently, 200 students are enrolled in the AI for Workforce program at CGCC and will have access to the new AI incubator lab.
