Courtesy of Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University announces a multi-million dollar collaboration with IBM on a comprehensive program designed to develop diverse and high demand skillsets that align with industry needs and trends so both students and faculty can develop the skills they need today for the jobs of tomorrow.
IBM and Wilberforce University, the nation’s first, private HBCU, are building on the need to advance digital skills in education. Each of these institutions is dedicated to providing future focused curriculum and educational tools to help train the diverse workforce of tomorrow in fast-growing technologies such as AI, blockchain, data science, cybersecurity, cloud, and quantum.
The university will provide students, faculty, and staff with innovative training that will enhance academic programs and enrollment as well as create a competitive academic atmosphere that allows students to compete in the global marketplace.
“Wilberforce University has a history of providing its students with robust and innovative opportunities for learning. As the University explores the transdisciplinary integration of academic disciplines, we want to incorporate tools to prepare our students for the competitive global marketplace. Whether our students seek fields in the sciences, business, or the arts, their choices should have economic and financial returns on personal investment. Utilizing IBM resources, our students leverage their intellectual assets for maximal optimization for shorter term employment longer-term career advancement.” – President Elfred Anthony Pinkard, Ed.D, Wilberforce University
The collaboration extends IBM’s recent investment in technology, assets, resources, and skills development with HBCUs across the United States through the IBM Skills Academy and IBM Academic Initiative.
As part of its multi-year Global University Programs which include the IBM Academic Initiative and the IBM Skills Academy, IBM is providing more than $100M in assets, faculty training, pre-built and maintained curriculum content, hands on labs, use cases, digital badges, and software to participating HBCUs. The IBM Academic Initiative provides access to resources at no charge for teaching, learning, and non-commercial research with recent enhancements including access to guest lectures. The IBM Skills Academy is a comprehensive, integrated program through an education portal designed to create a foundation of diverse and high demand skill sets that directly correlate to what students will need in the workplace. The learning tracks address topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain, data science, and quantum computing.
IBM’s investment in HBCUs like Wilberforce University is part of the company’s dedicated work to promote social justice and racial equality by creating equitable, innovative experiences for HBCU students to acquire the necessary skills to help unlock economic opportunity and prosperity.
