Outamation and Extern Equip 4,000 Students with Real-World AI Skills for Mortgage Industry

More than 4,000 students have gained hands-on experience building artificial intelligence tools through two externship programs created by Outamation, a Dallas-based mortgage operations technology company, in partnership with Extern, a platform that connects students with real-world work experience. The programs, announced on October 13, 2026, aim to close the gap between learning about AI and applying it in professional settings. Instead of studying AI in theory, students applied it to sample mortgage documents, built working tools, and delivered their findings directly to Outamation, mirroring the workflow of a professional technology team.

Outamation and Extern co-designed the curriculum, with Outamation’s mortgage domain experts and AI engineers leading content development. Nirmal Patel, Outamation’s Chief AI Officer, spearheaded program design, supported by Devang Kamdar, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Mike Eng, Head of Partnerships at Extern, led the effort for the platform. The programs offered two levels: 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.

Students tackled real business problems using sample files, training AI to recognize common mortgage document types and writing Python code to extract key information automatically. They also built AI systems that answer questions about documents and tested open-source AI models—skills that apply across finance, real estate, and other industries. Advanced participants compared AI models on accuracy, cost, and ease of use, and presented their recommendations to Outamation stakeholders. The programs drew students from 934 schools and 59 countries, ensuring open access regardless of location or background.

“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, noted, “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 advances in AI, ensuring students continue learning the skills employers will need next. Students interested in future programs can learn more at www.extern.com. This initiative matters because it directly addresses the AI talent shortage, providing students with practical experience that makes them job-ready and offering companies a pipeline of skilled workers. For Texas, home to Outamation’s headquarters, it reinforces the state’s position as a hub for mortgage technology and AI innovation, potentially attracting more tech investment and talent. The collaboration also demonstrates how businesses can drive economic impact by investing in education and workforce development.