Poulsbo-based Paladin Data Systems has been selected as a finalist by the Washington Software Alliance (WSA) for this year’s Industry Achievement Awards. Paladin was recognized in the category of Outstanding Contribution to the Community for its commitment to information technology (IT) education through a public/private partnership with the West Sound School-to-Career Consortium.

Through this partnership, seven school districts stretching from Bainbridge Island to Gig Harbor have entered into an aggressive grant-writing program, and raised over $150,000 to update and expand the IT training programs in public schools.

According to Dale Green, Director of Professional and Technical Education for the South Kitsap School District, the greatest need the consortium members identified was to bring the teachers in the classrooms up to current industry standards.

“Teaching technology that is no longer used by industry would be meaningless. In order for our teachers and students to succeed, they must be equipped with the latest information technology training.”

Paladin’s education arm, a Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center called Paladin University, has matched state funds with an additional $76,000 grant, and has been training school teachers since March of last year.

Peggy Roy, Vice President of Education said, “We are excited to work with our local school district professionals, and impressed to see the progressive information technology training programs they have crafted. The IT education received by our students in Kitsap, North Mason and Pierce Counties rivals any in the nation. WSA has been consistently supportive of our efforts to deliver technology education to the public schools; and Paladin is honored to have been chosen a finalist in the sixth annual Industry Achievement Awards.”

Educator training under the grant varies from courses in CompTIA A+ certification to Microsoft systems engineering and Cisco networking certifications. So far, the program has certified 26 educators in A+, six as Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers, and another 11 as Microsoft Certified Professionals. Those teachers are now preparing over 4000 local students for entry into college level programs or IT positions in the workforce.