MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The
University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), in
partnership with Appian (Nasdaq: APPN), introduced a new course on
Intelligent Automation for the 2021-2022 academic year. Offered on
a trial basis last spring semester, the class resulted in 100% of
graduating students being offered low-code developer job
placements, and all class students achieving certification as
Appian Associate Developers. The class concluded with a Low-Code
Automation Hackathon, sponsored and judged by KPMG LLP (KPMG).
Low-Code class sees 100% job placement for graduating students;
enrollment nearly triples for second semester.
The course, led by Assistant Professor Gaurav Shekhar in the UTD Naveen Jindal School
of Management, uses the Appian Low-Code Platform and an
experiential learning approach that lets students get "hands-on"
with leading low-code platform technology. Using the platform,
students learn to master skills including Process Orchestration,
Process Modelling, Process Re-engineering, Robotic Process
Automation, and Intelligent Document Processing (IDP).
Low-code is a new way to build enterprise applications. It is
fast because it replaces complex coding with visual composition.
Low-code is also unified because it brings all aspects of
automation — people, RPA, AI, data, and systems — into the same
workflow. Analyst firm Forrester says 75% of all application
development will use low-code platforms by the end of this year, up
from 44% in 2020.
Shekhar, program director of the Master of Science in Business
Analytics Flex and Online programs in the Jindal School, said,
"Low-code is in huge demand because it helps companies respond more
quickly to change. This is creating tremendous career opportunities
for people — whether they are technologists or not — who are
certified low-code developers. The success of our first semester
proves it: All 10 of our graduating students received job offers,
and our undergrads already have low-code certification on their
résumés. The class is offered again this fall and has seen a jump
in enrollment from 17 to 50."
The inaugural 16-week class concluded with a seven-day
hackathon, sponsored by KPMG. Four teams of students were tasked
with building low-code automation solutions for two scenarios:
Asset Management and Student Onboarding. KPMG practice leads
(Dan Fisher and Rey Villanueva) and technology professionals
(Daryl Fink, Angad Chopra, Bill
Nguyen, David Trang, and
Anupama Garg) were directly involved
in supporting the students, offering feedback and advice through
dedicated office hours. The hackathon judges included a team from
KPMG as well as Appian's Chief Customer Officer Pavel Zamudio-Ramirez, and Appian's Area Vice
President of Customer Success Kimberly
Buxton.
"We were excited to support UTD's efforts to prepare its
students for new career opportunities in the low-code industry,"
said Rey Villanueva, Principal at
KPMG. "This type of relationship between industry and academia is
what is needed to meet the growing low-code demand among the
world's largest businesses."
"We believe our Low-Code Intelligent Automation class is a model
for other institutions to follow," said Dr. Hasan Pirkul, dean of the Jindal School.
"Industry relationships such as we have with Appian and KPMG create
rich and practical learning experiences for students, giving them
face-time with and hands-on guidance from expert professionals in
the field."
"The applications delivered by the hackathon teams demonstrated
great understanding of all the aspects of low-code automation, and
how to unify technologies to deliver substantial business impact,"
said Appian's Zamudio-Ramirez. "We're pleased by the success of our
partnership with UTD as they prepare their students for the
benefits of a low-code future."
To experience the Appian Low-Code Platform for yourself, and to
see how easy it is to become certified, get your free Appian
Community Edition environment.
About Appian
Appian helps organizations build apps and
workflows rapidly, with a low-code platform. Combining people,
technologies, and data in a single workflow, Appian can help
companies maximise their resources and improve business
results. Many of the world's largest organizations use Appian
applications to improve customer experience, achieve operational
excellence, and simplify global risk management and compliance. For
more information, visit www.appian.com
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SOURCE Appian