IBM is introducing two new IBM SkillsBuild certificates in cybersecurity and data analytics, designed and piloted with community colleges.
These new IBM SkillsBuild certificates will be available to students across the Alabama Community College System, Bay Area Community College Consortium, Colorado Community College System, and Louisiana Community and Technical College System this fall.
According to a global study conducted by IBM Institute of Business Value, executives estimate that implementing AI and automation will require 40% of their workforce to reskill over the next three years, mostly those in entry-level positions. This underscores the importance of creating public-private partnerships to help close the skills gap.
"Community colleges play a critical role in advancing the adoption of essential technology skills for the workforce," said Lydia Logan, vice president for global education and workforce development, IBM Corporate Social Responsibility. "With these new credentials, IBM is helping learners gain the in-demand skills employers are seeking in a new AI-enabled workplace."
The certificates are designed to meet the needs of learners and have been developed with academic and industry experts. Community college programs can integrate them into existing curriculums for students to earn credits.
- Designed to meet the needs of learners: These certificates are accessible for first-time degree seekers, upskillers, or career changers who hold a high school degree or GED, associate degree, or a bachelor's degree in a non-technical field.
- Developed together with academic and industry experts: Jobs for the Future (JFF) and a coalition of industry experts contributed to and validated the new competency-based IBM SkillsBuild certificates to align coursework and learnings with current employer demand as well as trends and expectations in the market to maximize job opportunities for students upon completion.
- Integrate into existing community college programs for college credits: Each certificate learning plan is 60-65 hours in length and can be integrated into a community college's curriculum.
The new certificates from IBM SkillsBuild require completion of the following courses:
IBM SkillsBuild Cybersecurity Certificate: governance, risk, compliance and data privacy, vulnerability management, system and network security, cloud security, security operations management, and incident response and system forensics.
IBM SkillsBuild Data Analytics Certificate: data classification, data usability for organizations, inferential and descriptive statistics, data collection and analysis, data preparation for analysis, and data visualization and presentation.
Additionally, students will have access to IBM SkillsBuild including other credentials and more than 1,000 free courses such as AI, sustainability, cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud computing, and workplace skills.
The new certificates were piloted successfully with students in Alabama, Colorado, California, and Louisiana in 2023.
IBM's work with community colleges is an important component of the company's pioneering skills-first approach and part of IBM's commitment to providing 30 million people with new skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow by 2030, according to the company.
For more information about this news, visit www.ibm.com.