IBM announces 170 new partnerships to Skill 30 Million People Globally by 2030

New Delhi, India, October 13th, 2021 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled a groundbreaking commitment and global plan to provide 30 million people of all ages with new skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow by 2030. To achieve this goal, IBM is announcing a clear roadmap with more than 170 new academic and industry partnerships. The effort will leverage IBM's existing programs and career building platforms to expand access to education and in-demand technical roles.

“Talent is everywhere; training opportunities are not,” said Arvind Krishna, IBM Chairman and CEO.“This is why we must take big and bold steps to expand access to digital skills and employment opportunities so that more people – regardless of their background – can take advantage of the digital economy. Today, IBM commits to providing 30 million people with new skills by 2030. This will help democratize opportunity, fill the growing skills gap, and give new generations of workers the tools they need to build a better future for themselves and society.”

The difficulty employers worldwide face in finding skilled workers poses a significant hurdle to economic growth. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), closing the global skills gap could add US$11.5 trillion to global GDP by 2028. To help do so, according to the WEF, the public and private sectors need to collaborate on education and training that keeps pace with market demands, demographic changes, and technology progress.

A Program for Everyone

With diverse offerings and an adaptable approach, IBM's education portfolio strives to be unique and effective, reflecting IBM's understanding that a one-size-fits-all approach simply does not work when it comes to education. IBM's programs range from technical education for teens at brick-and-mortar public schools and universities, and extend to paid, on-site IBM internships and apprenticeships. The company's skills and education programs also pair IBM mentorships with learners, and provide no-charge, customizable online curricula to aspiring professionals.

IBM's plan to educate 30 million people relies on its broad combinations of programs, and includes collaborations with universities and key government entities -- including employment agencies. Partnerships extend to NGOs as well, particularly those that focus on groups such as underserved youth, women, and military veterans. In general, IBM's efforts mobilize the private sector across the globe to open and expand opportunity pathways for underrepresented and historically disadvantaged communities.

In India, IBM will continue the partnerships with Ministry of Skills Development & Entrepreneurship, MEITY, Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education – Sikkim, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (DST), CBSE , Skill Development Councils in Goa, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, NPTEL- IIT-Madras and many others through our implementing partners to upskill youth from across the country.

Dr Biswajit Saha, CBSE, "We are at the brink of an AI revolution that is fundamentally altering the way we live, work, and relate to one another. IBM helped us achieve this by designing an AI curriculum, introduced as a SEWA (Social Empowerment through Work Education & Action) subject for grades XI and XII in CBSE schools. The curriculum is a first step in introducing students to the world of AI, so they go ahead and explore the wonders of how AI can be used to problem-solve.

The introduction of AI education is also in line with National Education Policy 2020, focusing on encouraging children to learn technical skills like coding, computational thinking, AI, and cybersecurity. This is where industry partners like IBM play a significant role, not just with curriculum development but also with student and teacher training and mentoring. With the support from IBM, 15000+ students and 6000+ teachers have been trained on the AI curriculum till date.”

Dr JP, DGT, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,“It has been over three years since DGT collaborated with IBM India and it has been a successful case study of public-private partnership driving the skilling ecosystem across the country. We have collaboratively worked through our 16 nodal National Skills Training Institute (NSTIs) spread across 14 states to effectively train and skill students and teachers from vocational institutes to impart necessary future skills. The two-year advanced diploma program has grown from 18 students in 2018 to 458 students in 2021. The train-the-trainer program has impacted more than 8500 teachers from over 900 institutions across the country. The IBM SkillsBuild program provides free, self-paced technical and non-technical training to tens of thousands of students across the country. These initiatives will help the youth of our country to effectively and efficiently prepare and meet the evolving demands of the industry.”

About IBM & Education

IBM's longstanding commitment to education has long been core to its corporate social responsibility initiatives. Three years ago, IBM launched its STEM for Girls program, with a vision to reach out to 300,000 students and initiate them into the world of STEM. IBM also launched an online learning platform SkillsBuild in India which has over 500,000 learners of all age groups, learning and closing the skill gaps in emerging tech. Additionally, the company has created upskilling and reskilling programs for community members in every stage of their learning journeys. These teach technical skills for job roles that involve cybersecurity, quantum computing, cognitive AI, design thinking, and digital marketing. They also offer and human-centered professional workplace proficiencies for resume building, collaboration, presentation, time management – even mindfulness. IBM offers these with a mix of hands-on and virtual programs to reach people wherever they are globally.

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