Strategic partnerships between higher education institutions and technology industry leaders are at the core of digital transformation in education. Strategic collaborations result beneficial not only to institutions but also to students.
Most recently, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and IBM will convene five member colleges to review IBM’s SkillsBuild platform in order to develop an educator resource portal. The academic partnership is part of IBM’s global plan to provide 30 million people of all ages with new skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow by 2030.
The toolkit is for future faculty to take advantage of resources offered on the platform and use it within their classrooms to support learning outcomes leading to student success by upskilling, reskilling, and best preparing the workforce for the future of work.
IBM SkillsBuild brings together two world-class, skills-based learning programs – Open P-TECH and SkillsBuild – under one brand. Through IBM SkillsBuild, students, educators, job seekers, and organizations can access free digital learning, resources, and support focused on the core technology and workplace skills needed to succeed in new collar jobs.
New collar jobs are those newer, mostly technical jobs that require specialized skills such as cybersecurity, quantum computing, cognitive AI, design thinking, and digital marketing. The partnership with NACCE will expand access to education and in-demand technical roles.
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship is a non-profit membership organization of educators, presidents, and entrepreneurs who focus on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and on their campuses. The NACCE’s mission is to provide leadership and sustainable, scalable resources to foster entrepreneurial thinking and action in one of the largest entrepreneurial ecosystems in North America.
The Association represents a dynamic community of technical and community colleges and over 2,500 faculty, staff, administrators, and presidents who serve nearly four million students across the United States.
Employers worldwide face difficulty finding skilled workers; and this poses a significant hurdle to economic growth. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), closing the global skills gap could add $11.5 trillion to global GDP by 2028. In order to reach that goal, the WEF says that the public and private sectors need to collaborate on education and training that keeps pace with market demands, demographic changes, and technology progress.
IBM and NACCE call for faculty members
Lead faculty will receive a stipend of $5,000 in addition to conference registration and travel for participating in the pilot program. The application opens on October 20 for faculty; candidates who meet the following requirements are invited to apply:
- The applicant is a faculty member of a NACCE member college
- The individual and/or college has the operational and physical capacity to participate in monthly meetings, review of the platform, providing feedback and guidance in the development of the toolkit
Selected colleges will identify a faculty member that will work to coordinate, collaborate, and facilitate interaction with the student population to foster registered and active users on the IBM SkillsBuild Platform. These efforts will be measured by the following outcomes:
- Upskill, reskill, and prepare the workforce for the future of work through community colleges reaching enrolled students and community members
- Close the digital skills gap, especially in underserved and under-represented communities
- Ensure access and equity for learners at all stages and on all paths of life and of work
- Create opportunity for entrepreneurs and small business owners
For more information on the application process interested faculty members should contact NACCE.