Worldwide Celebrates Microsoft Job Training Program in San Antonio for Transitioning Military
Addressing the ongoing need for highly skilled workers in the booming cybersecurity field, the nation’s leading technology, military and academic institution have once again teamed up to give active duty military and veterans the tools to succeed by welcoming the Microsoft Software & Systems Academy (MSSA) at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) in Texas.
To welcome the program designed to prepare service members for jobs in the civilian information technology sector, leadership from the base including Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of the 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio, and Col. David Raugh, commander, 502nd Force Support Group, recently joined representatives from Microsoft and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Chancellor Dr. John R. Watret at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Military & Family Readiness Center.
MSSA is an intensive 18-week program that teaches transitioning service members and veterans the critical information technology (IT) skills required for today's growing technology industry careers. With the addition of the MSSA program at Joint Base San Antonio, and recent openings of new campus locations at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and at Quantico, Va., MSSA is now offered at 14 locations nationwide, 12 of which are at Embry-Riddle Worldwide campuses.
Graduates of the program have secured careers at Microsoft or one of more than 280 companies nationwide – with average starting salaries at or above $70,000. The MSSA program’s network of hiring partners includes industry leaders like Dell Inc., Oracle, Accenture and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Embry-Riddle is a designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security, and its administration and faculty have collaborated with industry partners to help shape the university’s cybersecurity curriculum.
“This cyber program will help to build a skilled workforce that has the knowledge to protect systems from attacks and keep them secure from constantly changing exploits, all across the threat landscape,” said Embry-Riddle Worldwide Chancellor Dr. John R. Watret. “That knowledge, and the practical skills they develop in our virtual labs are put to the test in ‘live-fire demonstrations’ that use a nationally recognized virtual cyber range environment. We know that future battles will be fought in cyberspace and that as a country, we must prepare cyber professionals to protect against these attacks on our government, our industries and our way of life.”
Information on the MSSA program offered at Embry-Riddle Worldwide’s Campus at 902 FSS/FSDE, 301 B. Street West, Randolph AFB, Texas, 78150, can be found at worldwide.erau.edu/locations/san-antonio. For information on the MSSA program, go to military.microsoft.com/programs/mssa/.