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 [Education](/CSR-News/education)

 # IBM on Skills-First

 

##### Why the tech giant is bullish on alternatives to the four-year degree.

 

 

 Sep 28, 2023 1:20 PM ET

  ![Close up of IBM logo on a computer](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_2x/public/images/IBMlogo_IBM_092823.jpg "Image courtesy of Carson Masterson on Unsplash") Image courtesy of Carson Masterson on Unsplash 

 

[Originally published by The Job & Open Campus Media, Inc. on the-job.beehiiv.com](https://the-job.beehiiv.com/p/ibm-skillsfirst?utm_source=the-job.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=ibm-on-skills-first)

*By Paul Fain*

No corporation has been more committed than IBM in trying to create career opportunities for workers without four-year college degrees. The global tech company’s ambitions include becoming a major player in the [issuing of alternative credentials](https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3NraWxsc2J1aWxkLm9yZy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT10aGUtam9iLmJlZWhpaXYuY29tJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09cmVmZXJyYWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWlibS1vbi1za2lsbHMtZmlyc3QiLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoiZjA3NTNkYmUtMmFhOS00YzZjLTg0ZDAtNzg5NGM5YTIwNmZlIiwicHVibGljYXRpb25faWQiOiJmMzY1Njk0Zi05NjU3LTQ1MTMtYTI5NC1mODcwYWIyZGJhODkiLCJ2aXNpdF90b2tlbiI6Ijk0ODBiNDk5LTljZDUtNDQ0Yi05M2JiLWQxN2VhZDkxODNkMCIsImlhdCI6MTY5NTkxMzkwNiwiaXNzIjoib3JjaGlkIn0.vPx6QCCRNt5urZuDEyp1pBJoQ-icCaGWBY65Wfc5n6A) and [working with other companies](https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5pYm0uY29tL2NvbnN1bHRpbmcvdGFsZW50LW1hbmFnZW1lbnQ_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT10aGUtam9iLmJlZWhpaXYuY29tJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09cmVmZXJyYWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWlibS1vbi1za2lsbHMtZmlyc3QiLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoiZjA3NTNkYmUtMmFhOS00YzZjLTg0ZDAtNzg5NGM5YTIwNmZlIiwicHVibGljYXRpb25faWQiOiJmMzY1Njk0Zi05NjU3LTQ1MTMtYTI5NC1mODcwYWIyZGJhODkiLCJ2aXNpdF90b2tlbiI6Ijk0ODBiNDk5LTljZDUtNDQ0Yi05M2JiLWQxN2VhZDkxODNkMCIsImlhdCI6MTY5NTkxMzkwNiwiaXNzIjoib3JjaGlkIn0.DUHrd_NVe4ztgM9uraqptZUZn7uJXW8_FcAGR4VO8fw) on their hiring strategies.

IBM created its U.S. apprenticeship program in 2017. It grew faster than the company anticipated and has expanded to 35 job roles. IBM has hired roughly 1K apprenticeships through its U.S. program, where more than 90% of graduates become full-time employees.

The company partnered with Franklin Apprenticeship to create its [IBM Z Mainframe Apprenticeship program](https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mcmFua2xpbmFwcHJlbnRpY2VzaGlwcy5jb20vaWJtLXotYXBwcmVudGljZXNoaXAtcHJvZ3JhbS8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT10aGUtam9iLmJlZWhpaXYuY29tJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09cmVmZXJyYWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWlibS1vbi1za2lsbHMtZmlyc3QiLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoiZjA3NTNkYmUtMmFhOS00YzZjLTg0ZDAtNzg5NGM5YTIwNmZlIiwicHVibGljYXRpb25faWQiOiJmMzY1Njk0Zi05NjU3LTQ1MTMtYTI5NC1mODcwYWIyZGJhODkiLCJ2aXNpdF90b2tlbiI6ImU5MTU5M2E5LWIzZTYtNGNjOC1iYzg1LWU1NWNlNDA2YzljMCIsImlhdCI6MTY5NTkxODA1MiwiaXNzIjoib3JjaGlkIn0.awZVA4SKTWP4MuAg17bUh6n4UHrqDqnYewZu1qpvu1o). It says an intermediary can help ease a company’s administrative burden with apprenticeships while shaping the experience for participants.

**“This is what they do. This is their core competency,”** says [Lydia Logan](https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5saW5rZWRpbi5jb20vaW4vbHlkaWFtbG9nYW4vP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9dGhlLWpvYi5iZWVoaWl2LmNvbSZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPXJlZmVycmFsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1pYm0tb24tc2tpbGxzLWZpcnN0IiwicG9zdF9pZCI6ImYwNzUzZGJlLTJhYTktNGM2Yy04NGQwLTc4OTRjOWEyMDZmZSIsInB1YmxpY2F0aW9uX2lkIjoiZjM2NTY5NGYtOTY1Ny00NTEzLWEyOTQtZjg3MGFiMmRiYTg5IiwidmlzaXRfdG9rZW4iOiJlOTE1OTNhOS1iM2U2LTRjYzgtYmM4NS1lNTVjZTQwNmM5YzAiLCJpYXQiOjE2OTU5MTgwNTIsImlzcyI6Im9yY2hpZCJ9.A-Hq7OcwbbjzTsEAvppXQlwqa-yKilndAPX2zeKwJEA), IBM’s vice president of global education and workforce development and corporate social responsibility.

Logan acknowledges that efforts by companies to change how they hire and develop talent are a “slow burn.” The progress IBM has made was possible, she says, because it took on the challenge as part of a “complete agenda” ranging from policy priorities to apprenticeships and consulting to [SkillsBuild](https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3NraWxsc2J1aWxkLm9yZy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT10aGUtam9iLmJlZWhpaXYuY29tJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09cmVmZXJyYWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWlibS1vbi1za2lsbHMtZmlyc3QiLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoiZjA3NTNkYmUtMmFhOS00YzZjLTg0ZDAtNzg5NGM5YTIwNmZlIiwicHVibGljYXRpb25faWQiOiJmMzY1Njk0Zi05NjU3LTQ1MTMtYTI5NC1mODcwYWIyZGJhODkiLCJ2aXNpdF90b2tlbiI6ImU5MTU5M2E5LWIzZTYtNGNjOC1iYzg1LWU1NWNlNDA2YzljMCIsImlhdCI6MTY5NTkxODA1MiwiaXNzIjoib3JjaGlkIn0.8GBmI3r2ziB2N4jWiesH3nds-4bAPEkgpxnMMOL8xI0), the company’s free online course and credential platform, which is a big part of its goal to [upskill 30M people](https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3dvcmtzaGlmdC5vcGVuY2FtcHVzbWVkaWEub3JnL3doYXQtZG9lcy1pdC1tZWFuLXRvLXNraWxsLTMwLW1pbGxpb24tcGVvcGxlLWlibS1sb29rcy10by1maW5kLW91dC8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT10aGUtam9iLmJlZWhpaXYuY29tJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09cmVmZXJyYWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWlibS1vbi1za2lsbHMtZmlyc3QiLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoiZjA3NTNkYmUtMmFhOS00YzZjLTg0ZDAtNzg5NGM5YTIwNmZlIiwicHVibGljYXRpb25faWQiOiJmMzY1Njk0Zi05NjU3LTQ1MTMtYTI5NC1mODcwYWIyZGJhODkiLCJ2aXNpdF90b2tlbiI6ImU5MTU5M2E5LWIzZTYtNGNjOC1iYzg1LWU1NWNlNDA2YzljMCIsImlhdCI6MTY5NTkxODA1MiwiaXNzIjoib3JjaGlkIn0.8wEolK30IkKVYoBJriIqFCo9oWBp9zrg-jxDX2Oyzf8) this decade.

Continue reading [here](https://the-job.beehiiv.com/p/ibm-skillsfirst?utm_source=the-job.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=ibm-on-skills-first)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 [![](/sites/default/files/Clients/Unknown-4.jpg)](/profiles/ibm)

 



 

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