New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that the city will open a new high school in the fall aimed at training students for careers as software engineers.
The city said it was opening the Academy for Software Engineering in part to deal with a shortage of professionals who have completed IT training programs and other skilled computer workers.
During his State of the City address, Bloomberg said the city will open at least 12 career and technical education schools in the next two years to give young students a head start in emerging fields.
"Over the next two years, we’ll open at least a dozen new Career and Technical Education schools and programs aligned with trends in the global economy. Students will get out-of-school internships tailored around their coursework and interests," Bloomberg stated.
School board member Joel Spolsky said the 400 to 500 students who enroll in the new school will also get a "rigorous" academic education that will prepare them for university or career training college.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professionals with an advanced degree can earn $500 more per week than those with a high school diploma or less.
