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photo by steed media service
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Chairman/Founder, Flashpoint Academy
With the digital age bringing unforeseen changes to the electronics and
technology industries, it is imperative for education in those
respective fields to experience change as well. Flashpoint Academy is
sitting ahead of the curve, leading the way toward the digital age’s
bright future. Ric Landry, chairman and founder of the Academy, sees
the shift as inevitable and welcomes it. “The whole move from analog to
digital [has been] off the charts, [and] if you don’t have this skill
set today, you’re going to miss the boat,” he warns. Change is rapid,
continues Landry. “Five years ago we didn’t know what YouTube or
MySpace was all about, and I can’t tell you what digital media is going
to look like five years from now.”
That uncertainty means that
the next generation of digital innovators must be prepared. Flashpoint
offers a unique approach to educating, focusing on film, sound,
animation and game technology. The public response to that unique
approach has been strong. “It makes sense. You don’t need to wait four
years and you don’t need to retake general education courses to be in
any one of these disciplines,” says Landry. “The mayor loves it because
we’re creating real jobs. His comments have been that [with] the jobs
that are being created, the students can actually live in the city and
raise a family. The industry professionals love it, the business
professionals love it and it’s great for the city of Chicago.”
Praise
from the industry and the city at large notwithstanding, Landry
understands that the heart of any institution is its students. “The
students that we have are really passionate. The reason they want to
come here is because they want to get started, they want to develop a
skill set in a short period of time and move into the workforce,” he
explains. “Eighty-five percent of the students we have are coming from
other programs, they’re coming [here] because we’re offering a
hands-on, state-of-the-art experience.” – todd williams
For more information, visit www.flashpointacademy.com. Check out the exclusive video interview at rollingout.com/rlandry
