Austin Community College (ACC) and Facebook announce a new partnership to fuel the growing entrepreneurial industry in Austin. New Digital Marketing courses at ACC prepare students who want to pursue careers in the fast-growing digital marketing economy.

“The need for digital skillsets is more important today than ever before, but closing the digital skills gap is something we can’t do alone,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president/CEO. “This collaboration is a win for our students and our regional economy.”

Offered through the college’s Continuing Education Division, the series of courses provide students with digital skills to build effective social media marketing and digital media strategy. Courses will be available for marketing professionals looking to expand their skills and small business owners wanting to learn current marketing practices.

“This is a very hands-on program that can help fuel any new business in Austin. We know every business is different, and every owner has different strengths,” says Marcela Nouzovska, ACC program coordinator. “We will be working closely with each student to evaluate their current situation, help them define their product, identify their ideal customer audience, and prioritize their next steps.”

The program is part of Facebook's pledge to train 1 million people and small businesses across the U.S. in digital skills by 2020. As part of its collaboration with ACC, Facebook pledged $60,000 to subsidize the cost for interested students.

“We're inspired by what small businesses have been able to do using Facebook, and we want to do more,” says Katherine Shappley, head of Facebook Austin and VP of Facebook's North American Global Business Group. “With ACC, we will make training in digital skills more accessible and equip graduates to participate in the digital workforce. In turn, this program will also help local businesses hire people with the right skills to compete.”

Classes begin October 14.

For more information and to register, visit the Digital Marketing Program website.