ARMONK, N.Y., Aug. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IBM
(NYSE: IBM) announced that its 21st century
apprenticeship program has earned official recognition from the
American Council on Education (ACE) which, for the first time, will
allow IBM apprentices to translate their 12 months of on-the-job
training for up to 45 college credits, or roughly three semesters
of college coursework, from participating academic
institutions.
IBM's technical apprenticeship in software engineering will
allow past, current and future IBM apprentices to apply their
credits at participating two and four-year institutions across the
country. This offers a unique opportunity for apprentices to
fast-track their progression toward an associate's or bachelor's
degree in pursuit of their career goals.
Earlier this year, ACE launched its Apprenticeship Pathways
project, in partnership with the Charles Koch Foundation, to expand
the range of alternative educational experiences eligible for
college credit and better leverage the impact of high-quality
apprenticeships. As a result, IBM's software engineering
apprenticeship will be represented in ACE-endorsed badges and
transcripts on the Credly Acclaim platform, which translates
learners' knowledge, skills, and achievements into digital
credentials.
"Amid the pandemic, industry leaders nationwide are rethinking
their approach towards education, skills training and hiring.
Apprenticeships have become an increasingly critical element in the
country's skills portfolio because they can rapidly provide more
people with access to new career opportunities, all while
continuing to earn a paycheck," said Kelli
Jordan, Director of skills, career and performance at IBM.
"This validation by ACE reaffirms the impact of IBM's
apprenticeship model and its ability to provide an opportunity to
learn in-demand technical skills that can lead to some of
technology's fastest growing careers without taking on student debt
or taking time away from the workplace."
To date, IBM has trained nearly 1,000 apprentices across 17
states and 30 cities through its earn-while-you learn model. Their
learning spans 25 apprenticeship career tracks, and the company
also has made expanded access to apprenticeship a hallmark of its
public policy advocacy, supporting, for example, Congressional
passage of The National Apprenticeship Act.
ACE, through its Learning Evaluations program, seeks to
facilitate seamless pathways for learners, schools and employers to
intersect – creating economic mobility and a skilled workforce. The
ACE-endorsed badges and transcripts are designed to allow learners
to easily transition between work and postsecondary education while
retaining a record of all their learned skills.
"We are proud to validate programs like IBM's Software
Engineering Apprenticeship, which provide opportunities for
underserved student populations to improve their economic mobility
through postsecondary education and professional advancement," said
Michele Spires, executive director
for Learning Evaluations at ACE. "This program empowers students to
further their education while helping colleges and universities
grow and diversify their student body."
According to the World Economic Forum, closing the
global skills gap could add US$11.5 trillion to the
global GDP by 2028, but education and training systems need to keep
pace with market demands. The ACE Software Engineer Apprenticeship
validation can help support this future of work by allowing
learners to leverage their skills across every available channel,
and help them achieve their goals.
For more information on IBM's Software Engineering
Apprenticeship visit
here: https://www.ibm.com/us-en/employment/newcollar/apprenticeships/.
For more information on credit recommendations for IBM's
Software Engineering Apprenticeship visit here:
https://www.acenet.edu/National-Guide/Pages/Organization.aspx?oid=ca1a01fd-c538-eb11-a813-000d3a33232a.
About ACE
The American Council on Education (ACE) is
a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education
community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative,
high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for the
nation's colleges and universities, our strength lies in our
diverse membership of more than 1,700 colleges and universities,
related associations, and other organizations in America and
abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to
represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting
institutions: two-year and four-year, public and private. Our
members educate two out of every three students in all accredited,
degree-granting U.S. institutions.
IBM Media Contact
Kathryn
Snyder
IBM Media Relations
Kathryn.Snyder@ibm.com
ACE Media Contact:
Audrey
Hamilton
ACE Media Relations
AuHamilton@acenet.edu
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SOURCE IBM