Synchrony Launches Digital Skills Academy

Synchrony employees want Stamford public school students to look forward to coming to their campus after school.

Those employees even volunteer after work for the opportunity to inspire students to follow a career they might not have known was an option.

The Synchrony Foundation officially opened the doors April 25 to the new Synchrony Skills Academy, offering underserved Connecticut communities digital skills training and job placement support. 

The 10,500 square foot, multi-million-dollar center is designed to spark discovery and innovation with a makerspace that encourages hands-on learning, an open space for collaboration, a gaming area, and classrooms for interactive STEM activities like coding, robotics, and virtual reality. 

Located in Synchrony’s Stamford headquarters, the academy will collaborate closely with the Governor’s Workforce Council, local schools, skills-credentialing organizations and nonprofits to provide intensive bootcamp training in software engineering skills and an eight month after school digital training program. 

Next Generation

The academy honors the legacy of Synchrony’s former CEO Margaret Keane. Now executive chair, Keane led the Fortune 200 company through its IPO and continued growth.

She is known for building a diverse workforce, expanding opportunity for all, and advancing corporate responsibility. 

“Our future depends on our ability to train and upskill our workforce, staying ahead of skills that will be required by businesses,” said Keane.

“This includes ensuring the next generation has opportunities to learn and build the digital skills needed to succeed.” 

Inclusive, Skilled Workforce

“There is an urgent need to develop a more inclusive, skilled workforce and address economic inequities,” said Brian Doubles, president and CEO of Synchrony. 

“No one company or sector can do it alone. We must work together to build a better future for all that includes innovative job training solutions.”

“There is an urgent need to develop a more inclusive, skilled workforce and address economic inequities.”

Synchrony CEO Brian Doubles

In Connecticut, nearly 40% of employers cited the lack of necessary skills as the key challenge to finding qualified young workers.

The academy aims to change that by providing skills that can help participants obtain roles in high-paying, fast-growing fields such as data analytics, UX design, and software development.

“Not only will the Synchrony Skills Academy train the workforce of tomorrow, it will show students the opportunities available to them in these industries right here in Connecticut,” said CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima. 

Partnerships

Gov. Ned Lamont said the academy “will help create new opportunities for our students, workforce and communities, while meeting the needs of employers now and in the future.”

“It’s a great example of what’s possible when the private and public sectors partner together to solve some of our state’s biggest challenges,” he added.

“It’s a great example of what’s possible when the private and public sectors partner.”

Gov. Ned Lamont

Partnerships with General Assembly, District Arts and Education, Future5, and the University of Connecticut’s Engineering Ambassadors, will make learning possible for high school, community college, and non-traditional adult students. 

The academy is part of Synchrony’s $50 million, five-year initiative to increase access to higher education, skills training in high-growth fields, and financial empowerment for underserved communities and its own workforce.