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The University of Louisville and IBM on Wednesday announced a partnership to create an IBM Skills Academy on the university's campus. The academy, which is slated to open in the fall, will provide a curriculum and learning tools that are focused on artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, cybersecurity, cloud computing, data science and more high-demand digital skills.

Through the project, which appears to share some characteristics with coding and skills boot camps, university students will be able to earn college credits and IBM certifications, Louisville said. Faculty members will be trained on the curriculum, and IBM will provide software and cloud technology valued at up to $5 million a year.

The company is discussing the creation of similar digital skills academies with four other U.S. universities, according to the university's news release.

“These skills are the most critical issue of our time, and the South has the highest number of employees without an education beyond high school,” Naguib Attia, IBM’s vice president of global university programs, said in a written statement. “If we don’t work to close this gap, it could have a negative impact on millions of people.”