Accenture and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's office of Professional Education Programmes (MIT PEP) are working together to develop the Accenture Solutions Delivery Academy, a new training and certification programme based on the company's application delivery curriculum.

"Educational innovation and leadership in a global industrial context continues to challenge us to find new and broader ways of achieving excellence and impact," said Dick K P Yue, associate dean of Engineering at MIT and faculty director of MIT PEP. "Our programme with Accenture provides one model for industry-campus engagement focused on professional education."

Accenture's two-year collaboration with MIT PEP includes ongoing review of the academy's educational content, student assessments, and overall programme design by several MIT School of Engineering faculty, whose feedback is incorporated into course material and examinations.

"The Accenture Solutions Delivery Academy allows us to offer another training program that enhances our competitiveness with its focus on educational excellence," said Stephen J Rohleder, Accenture's chief operating officer. "Employees gain access to coursework and highly marketable certifications developed with the participation of the world's preeminent engineering school, while Accenture benefits from a technology solutions workforce that is trained in, and held to, the highest standards."

Approximately 20,000 Accenture employees are eligible to enroll in the programme. The first participants are expected to receive their certifications in August 2007.

Employees who successfully complete the programme will be awarded "application developer" or "application designer" certifications by Accenture and MIT PEP, recognising software engineering, system-integration and application-delivery skills.