By Anna Webb, Boise State University Communications and Marketing
Beginning spring semester 2019, the College of Innovation and Design will offer the new innovation design emerging applications (IDEA) certificate.
The certificate is a response to a recent study that found that by 2030, the workplace skills most in demand will involve a mix of cognitive skills like creativity, and the ability to process and interpret complex information. Employers also will prize entrepreneurship and leadership, along with technological know-how like basic digital skills, advanced information technology skills and programming.
“Our vision is to equip students with industry-relevant practical job and life skills, tools and certifications with the idea that it will help to make them marketable to future employers,” said Alison Skilbred, director of Bridge to Career Programs in the College of Innovation and Design.
The upper division 12-credit IDEA program will offer four seven-week courses: Creative Concepting, Growth Hacking, Analytics for Design and Emerging Technology. Courses will be available in person or online.
Two Boise State alumni, Jennie Myers and Brad Weigle, will lead the program. Both have taught courses at Boise State in the past and love the teaching experience.
Myers, a vice president and executive creative director at the Boise advertising firm Drake Cooper, said she wants students to leave the program with “creative confidence” and the ability to debate the merits of their ideas with passion – regardless of their fields of study.
Weigle, a director of experience and innovation at Drake Cooper, said students will learn skills like using G Suite in a more professional way, learning drone technology, 3D printing, Slack, Instagram and more.
“We will make all of them approachable,” said Weigle.
CID welcomes “engineers, designers, business people, artists, marketers, hackers, innovators, thinkers and makers looking for a competitive edge” to join the program.
The IDEA certificate is the third certificate program in the College of Innovation and Design, following Leadership and Design Ethnography.