More than 4,000 students have completed two externship programs designed by Outamation, a mortgage operations technology company, and Extern, a platform connecting students with real-world work experience. The programs, announced on October 13, 2026, aim to bridge the gap between theoretical AI education and practical application. Students worked on sample mortgage documents, built AI tools, and presented findings directly to Outamation, mirroring professional technology workflows.
The initiative comes as employers increasingly seek AI-ready talent. Outamation and Extern collaborated on a curriculum developed by Outamation’s mortgage domain experts and AI engineers. Nirmal Patel, Outamation’s Chief AI Officer, led program design, with support from Devang Kamdar, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Mike Eng, Head of Partnerships, led the effort for Extern.
The programs offered two tracks: a seven-week Foundational externship introducing AI, natural language processing, and computer vision, and a five-week Advanced program where students fine-tuned their own AI models and built multi-step AI agents to automate document workflows. Using sample files, students trained AI to recognize common mortgage document types and wrote Python code to extract key information automatically. They also built AI systems that answer questions about documents and tested open-source AI models, skills applicable across finance, real estate, and other industries.
Participants compared AI models on accuracy, cost, and ease of use, with Advanced students presenting recommendations to Outamation stakeholders. The programs attracted students from 934 schools across 59 countries, ensuring open access regardless of location or background. This global reach underscores the potential for scalable AI education.
“Every student today will build a career alongside AI. The question is whether they learn it by doing real work or by watching from the sidelines,” said Lisa Guadagno, Chief People Officer of Outamation. “More than 4,000 students chose to do the work. Our job as employers is to give the next generation the tools and the opportunity to succeed.”
Sapan Bafna, Founder & CEO of Outamation, added, “AI skills on their own are not enough. Students learn the most when they solve real business problems with people who know the industry and people who know the technology. Our mortgage experts and AI engineers designed this curriculum together. Students learned to use AI the way it is used on the job.”
Matt Wilkerson, CEO at Extern, explained, “Most companies stay out of this because they picture a program they would have to build and staff. Taking that burden on is what Extern is for. Outamation handed students a real problem and got independent evaluations of the open-source AI models their own team is weighing in return. Having to make a recommendation and defend it to the people who will act on it is the part no course can simulate.”
Building on these results, Outamation and Extern will collaborate on a new program designed to evolve with AI advances, ensuring students continue learning skills employers will need. Students interested in future programs can learn more at www.extern.com.
The initiative’s impact extends beyond individual participants. By providing practical AI experience, it helps create a workforce capable of applying AI to real business challenges, potentially accelerating AI adoption across industries. For employers, this means access to talent with proven skills, reducing training costs. For students, it offers a competitive edge in a job market where AI proficiency is increasingly vital. As AI continues to transform sectors, programs like these could serve as a model for industry-academic partnerships, addressing the global skills gap and fostering innovation.
