HPE Nimble Storage dHCI powers university IT program for local Indigenous communities, specifically focusing on women in technology
Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced University College of the North (UCN), located in Manitoba, Canada, has selected HPE Nimble Storage dHCI technology as the foundation for its IT training course, the Information Technology Readiness North (InTeRN) Project. UCN selected the solution because it can be easily managed and accessed, supports specific IT training needs, and can be used by students in a lab environment. UCN joins a growing number of companies that have selected HPE Nimble Storage dHCI to deliver breakthrough simplicity and efficiency. In Q2 earnings results, HPE announced that HPE Nimble Storage dHCI continues to see ongoing momentum, with 250 percent revenue growth year-over-year.
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UCN serves a student body of over 2,000, 70 percent of whom are Indigenous, in classrooms that span two main campuses and 12 regional training centers – nine of them being in First Nation communities. Curriculum includes standard university courses, on-site trade programs and online courses. As the only university serving the immediate area, UCN needed a scalable solution that is simple to install and maintain, with no downtime, to greatly improve the faculty and student experience. HPE Nimble Storage dHCI was selected to eliminate complexity and implement a reliable environment, with guaranteed availability, unmatched performance, and simplified management.
“Life in the north is very different compared to other regions, and because of those differences, our IT program is imagining a structure unlike any other IT training currently in practice,” said William McBride, project consultant and IT educator, University College of the North. “Thanks to HPE Nimble Storage dHCI, myself and other educators working on this program will also have the confidence of a system supporting our workloads with built-in data protection.”
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As the first program of its kind in the area, the InTeRN Project is designed to educate students interested in IT careers, with a focus on training local women from northern Manitoba for entry-level IT jobs. Empowering women to pursue a career in IT is a key initiative for UCN, and the InTeRN Project will provide entry-level IT certification without students having to commit to leaving their communities and support structures. These classes are initially intended to provide easy access to IT training for young women and mothers, with the goal of eliminating social barriers and help empower women with traditional knowledge woven into their IT education, coupled with income-generating work practicums.
“The InTeRN project was developed for the northern part of Canada, in partnership with Computers for Schools, which supplies technology equipment to low income students and non-profits,” said Justin Minard, executive director, Computers for schools. “Partnering with UCN to develop the InTeRN Project will provide hands-on training for students at the University College of the North, helping the local community gain employment skills and strategy. We’re happy to have found a reliable technology partner with HPE on this project.”
“It is our intention that every student entering our program feels fully supported to work through the curriculum with confidence,” said Jenna Brown, project case manager, the InTeRN Project, University College of the North. “This program will unleash the strength, resourcefulness and resilience found here in the north, where community is everything. This is why we’re creating a learning community that supports, uplifts and encourages our students to be their best.”
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HPE Nimble Storage dHCI is the industry’s first disaggregated HCI platform, powered by artificial intelligence with HPE InfoSight. Designed as the evolution of HCI that is more reliable, faster and efficient, HPE Nimble Storage dHCI enables users to deploy apps faster, support demanding workloads, and optimize time and resources. Customers benefit from the flexibility to independently scale resources, and management simplicity for organizations with demanding applications.
“HPE is committed to being a force for good, and knowing our technology is delivering critical career training to under-represented populations to improve the way they work and live is an outcome that drives us as a company to continue to effect change,” said Omer Asad, VP & GM Primary Storage, HCI & Data Management Services, HPE. “HPE Nimble Storage dHCI was designed with customers like UCN in mind, built from the ground up to remove the guesswork in managing infrastructure and deliver the best performance so our customers can focus on giving back to their end users.”
“The traditions of oral story telling is a personal growth model for aboriginal women as they relate to the development of soft skills essential to the digital workplace, changing the economy, and sustainability of the under-developed, female-led technology industry in Northern Manitoba,” said Tara Manych, education director at the Kelsey Adult Learning Centre, partner of the InTeRN project at University College of the North. “UCN recognized the lack of opportunities for local women to access IT training, so the IT course will begin with a women-only pilot project, with the intent of opening training to all students in the future.”
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