The University of Louisville will be the first of four campuses to have a tech partnership with IBM.

University and IBM officials announced the new collaboration during a news conference Wednesday. The partnership will establish the IBM Skills Academy focused on data science and digital learning.

U of L student Joseph Eckl is majoring in computer information systems. He said this partnership will make him more marketable after graduation.

"I have a great appreciation for the fact that IBM is coming here and offering incentives for people to learn about those types of things," Eckl said.

The IBM Skills Academy is a professional, emerging technologies certification program that will be available to all U of L students and faculty.

University president Neeli Bendapudi worked hand-in-hand with IBM officials to get this program at U of L. She said technology training is the key to growing Kentucky's future leaders.

"We need this kind of support, so we can truly transform and be prepared for the workforce of the future," Bendapudi said.

The IBM Skills Academy will open this fall in the Miller Information Technology Center on U of L's Belknap Campus.