Winners of Digital Workforce Innovation Challenge Announced at the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) 2025 Annual Conference in Coronado, California October 5-8
Six U.S. Colleges to Receive $25,000 Each for Scalable Industry-Partnered Upskilling Sponsored by Infosys Foundation USA
CARY, NORTH CAROLINA / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / At the annual conference of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), taking place this year in Coronado, California in October, NACCE and Maker USA announced the six higher education recipients representing community colleges, four-year institutions, and HBCUs that were competitively selected to participate in the national Digital Workforce Innovation Program.
Infosys Foundation USA awarded a grant of $250,000 to NACCE and its Digital Workforce Innovation Program to support innovative institutions that will equip students and adult learners with the digital skills, credentials, maker mindset, and career pathways needed to thrive in the tech-driven 21st century economy through real-world learning.
The colleges include: Coppin State University (MD); Foothill College (CA); Gateway Community College (AZ); Houston City College (TX); Ivy Tech Community College, (IN); and North Iowa Area Community College (IA); have been selected to participate in an 18-month cohort, gaining access to funding, technical assistance, 1:1 coaching, monthly focus group convening, mentorship, student-driven data analysis, and peer learning on the Infosys Springboard digital learning platform.
These elements will complement the overall scaling of the digital workforce initiatives of each awardee that are aligned with local and regional labor markets. As a strategic partner for the program, Maker USA will provide technical assistance and consulting support to the cohort and connect these institutions to its national network of 40+ leading institutions and organizations focused on expanding inclusive maker education and makerspaces.
According to NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin, the selection criteria reflect NACCE’s mission to address community and workforce needs and collaboration with stakeholders. “These have been and continue to be the hallmark of NACCE’s work with the country’s community and technical colleges,” she stated.
Additional criteria for grant selection included:
College readiness, capacity to enhance the program, and clear plans for sustainability beyond initial funding.
Commitment to co-designing with key stakeholders and responsiveness to community and workforce needs.
Ability to define clear, realistic metrics tied to program goals and demonstrable plans in place for tracking short- and long-term outcomes.
Infosys Foundation USA Executive Director and CEO Kate Maloney, stated, “With an increasing focus on preparing talent for a technology-driven workforce, we are proud to support NACCE’s Digital Workforce Innovation Program. By empowering community colleges with funding, technical support, a collaborative network of higher education peers, and access to the foundation’s flagship digital upskilling platform, Springboard, we are collaboratively expanding access to 21stcentury digital skills and creating wider pathways to career opportunities at a local level. This program reflects our belief that inclusive access to future-ready learning is essential to building a dynamic workforce.”
NACCE is the leader in community college entrepreneurship education in North America. Infosys Foundation USA is dedicated to increasing access to computer science and maker education for K-12 educators and students while advancing digital skilling in emerging technologies for all learners.
A vital component of the cohort is SkillPointe, NACCE’s online career exploration technology that helps individuals find training and certification programs for skilled trades across the country. SkillPointe’s career pages help students of all ages and backgrounds understand what the career entails, which skills are needed, what kind of training is required, what scholarships are available, and relevant salary information.
By integrating the strengths of both platforms into the cohort framework, grantees of the Digital Workforce Innovation Program will have access to an 11K course repository of interactive learning modules and foundational training in emerging technologies such as AI, cloud computing, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
About Infosys Foundation USA
The foundation’s mission is to expand access to computer science and maker education for K-12 students and educators across the USA, while working to digitally upskill all learners for 21stcentury technology-enabled opportunities. It achieves impact through the delivery of professional development programs for teachers, digital upskilling, partnerships with leading nonprofits, and innovative media campaigns that inspire everyone to be creators, not just consumers, of technology. For more information, visit: Infosys.org/USA.
About NACCE
NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents, and entrepreneurs focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and on their campuses. NACCE has two main goals: to empower college leaders to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset; and to grow the community college’s role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystems. Visit: nacce.com.
About MakerUSA
Maker USA works with marginalized communities to support their efforts in using maker education for innovation, entrepreneurship, and STEM careers. MakerUSA runs a national community of practice called the Learning Network, composed of 40+ leading institutions and organizations focused on expanding inclusive maker education and makerspaces. MakerUSA also locally recruits, embeds, and trains program managers to support the efforts of these communities. Visit makerusa.org.
Contact Information
Carol Savage Editor editor@nacce.com 978857-1473
.
SOURCE: National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
