Dive Brief:

• Aiming to build a pipeline for in-demand talent, Trilogy Education and Northwestern University's School of Professional Studies have partnered to launch what the pair has dubbed "Chicago's first intensive fintech training program," according to a Dec. 12 press release. 
• Chicago is a top hub for fintech, Trilogy said, citing a Deloitte report that named the city the No. 5 fintech hub in the world.
• "We see an accelerating need for educational programs that specifically build a pipeline of talent to support Chicago's growing fintech ecosystem," Erica Wilke Bova, assistant dean, international and professional education programs at Northwestern, said in a statement. "We expect the program to attract professionals who already work in finance and seek to upskill, as well as technologists who want to pivot into fintech."

Dive Insight:

This program is one of several Trilogy Education boot camps, including a few focused on fintech. Trilogy's model focuses on partnerships with well-known universities; other partners include the University of Oregon, the University of Connecticut, Columbia Engineering and Rice University. The partnerships provide local adult participants with training in fields such as coding and industry-relevant tech tools. 

This model — using the expertise and resources of local universities to train for a specific skill need — is why Trilogy was named Employee Initiative of the Year in the 2019 HR Dive Awards. "In any given city across the country, the local university is often recognized as one of the most respected and impactful institutions," Greg Calverase, then-chief operating officer at Trilogy, told HR Dive for the award. "They have an important role to play in helping their communities prepare for the new skills that employers require in an increasingly tech-driven economy."

More broadly, employers are beginning to leverage learning and development programs as a way to prepare workforces and companies for the future, especially as talent shortages emerge as a key business threat for organizations worldwide.