</>Collaboration in Technology{;}

What a day! Today was my field trip to Gwinnett Technical College - a campus I have worked next to and driven right by numerous times but did not have the opportunity to explore.

Back in January, Dr. Albena Asenova-Belal along with many of her colleagues came to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to learn more about us- and more importantly- what opportunities are available to her students as college interns or full time team members.

I remember everyone's eyes growing larger as we talked about roles in IT and cybersecurity... and how gaming skills are something we look for in some roles, coding ability in others.

It still surprises me that people think about the Fed and cancel us out as somewhere they would apply because they are not economists or don't hold a PhD. We are an entire organization, and we need many differing parts to help us tick!

I toured Building D- a space that just had its grand opening in May 2023. I smelled the fresh paint and the new carpet... met some new(er) team members-

and was so impressed with the building. I got a chuckle at one of the longer acronyms I have seen in a while (I am plenty used to hearing and using them at the Fed, but they tend to be 3 and 4 let acronyms)

--- CISCET---

the new Computer Information Systems, Cyber Security and Emerging Technology building!

I even got to visit their gaming classroom. It fits 72 students and can be broken down into 3 smaller classrooms.

I had to try out the seats- were they as comfortable as they looked? The answer-

YES!

I asked a team member, "How don't you fall asleep in these chairs?" The answer- "You are so focused on what is going on!"

I look forward to further developing our partnership with Gwinnett Tech. The students enrolled in classes obtaining so many certifications relevant to the IT world today... can become part of our team (or yours) in the future because of the training and exposure they are receiving through their coursework.

I made sure to remind Dr. Albena Asenova-Belal and her team that students can apply for full time roles at the Fed and then work towards their undergraduate and graduate degrees with the help of our generous tuition reimbursement programs. Those are hard to find these days but they still exist, at the Fed.

I look forward to returning to campus when students are there (and not in finals) and seeing them in the simulation center trying to "hack" each other or in the gaming classroom FOCUSED.

I am also excited about other ways we will be able to partner with each other.

#Gwinnettisgreat #collaboration