NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Metis, a leading data science training provider, and DigitalGlobe, Inc. (NYSE:DGI), the global leader in Earth imagery and information about our changing planet, have joined together on an initiative called the Metis/DigitalGlobe Data Challenge to grant Metis bootcamp students the opportunity to use DigitalGlobe satellite imagery and labeled training data to solve real business problems.

In this collaboration, Metis bootcamp students apply to work with DigitalGlobe’s high-accuracy, high-resolution, multi-spectral satellite imagery as they develop their capstone “passion project.” In doing so, Metis students work directly with the innovative tech company on machine learning and deep learning. The passion project is the culmination of 12 weeks of immersive, in-person instruction and training in data science skills, in which Metis students present a data science-based solution or application to an issue of their choice.

The DigitalGlobe collaboration enables Metis students to go beyond the theoretical scenarios they have studied and, as part of their training, apply their education to real-world scenarios using powerful data that resides within high-resolution satellite imagery. Currently, students at Metis’s New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco locations are eligible to participate in the Metis/DigitalGlobe Data Challenge.

"This project is such a great opportunity to work with state-of-the-art satellite imagery data while learning about image processing, object detection, and neural networks,” said Victoria Aston, a bootcamp student at Metis’s New York City flagship location. “As someone who previously worked in the alternative energy field, I am excited to apply this toward monitoring solar power capacity in an area of interest."

Although data science skills are highly valuable to employers, just 23 percent of college leaders said their graduates will have those skills, according to a 2017 poll conducted by Gallup for the Business-Higher Education Forum. The poll also found that 69 percent of employers expect candidates with data science skills to get preference for jobs within their organizations.

“DigitalGlobe is excited to help develop the pool of new data scientists at Metis's bootcamp, especially students whose passion projects intersect with our business needs,” said Adam Estrada, DigitalGlobe Director of Analytic Solutions. “We previously hired a Metis alum who has demonstrated the value of the machine learning and deep learning expertise these students are acquiring through real-world experience as part of their training. We look forward to future opportunities to tap into fresh data science talent to help DigitalGlobe grow and build solutions for our customers’ needs.”

The first cohort of students working with DigitalGlobe data will present their passion projects on June 22, 2017, at Metis’s Career Day in New York City, where top employers in the private and public sectors watch student presentations as they seek to hire their next generation of data science talent. If you would like to learn more about the technical side of the Metis/DigitalGlobe Data Challenge, the details are provided in this blogpost written by Alan Schoen, a Metis alum who is now a DigitalGlobe Data Scientist.

The DigitalGlobe partnership follows a series of growth moves for Metis, including the opening of new locations in Seattle and Chicago and the launch of two new professional development courses (Deep Learning with TensorFlow and Statistical Foundations for Data Science and Machine Learning).

To speak with a Metis spokesperson about the partnership or attending Career Day, please contact Michael Tague at 212-974-2785 or [email protected]. For more information on all of Metis’s programs and offerings, visit www.thisismetis.com.

About Metis

Metis (www.thisismetis.com) is a leading provider of data science skills training for individuals and businesses. Part of Kaplan’s New Economy Skills Training (NEST) unit, Metis delivers training programs designed by world-class industry practitioners and runs the industry’s only accredited intensive data science bootcamp. Metis, a d/b/a of Kaplan, is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET). Kaplan, Inc. (www.kaplan.com) is a leading provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses.

About DigitalGlobe

DigitalGlobe is a leading provider of commercial high-resolution Earth observation and advanced geospatial solutions that help decision makers better understand our changing planet in order to save lives, resources and time. Sourced from the world's leading constellation, our imagery solutions deliver unmatched coverage and capacity to meet our customers' most demanding mission requirements. Each day customers in defense and intelligence, public safety, civil agencies, map making and analysis, environmental monitoring, oil and gas exploration, infrastructure management, navigation technology, and providers of location-based services depend on DigitalGlobe data, information, technology and expertise to gain actionable insight.

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