IBM’s Foray into EduTech: Open P-TECH Takes Shape at a Global Scale

At the IBM Think Digital Conference, IBM announced its most modern edutech platform for the workplace-related digital skills. Commercially available as Open P-TECH, the free digital education platform will train students in the age-group of 14 and 20 years, along side adult educators. The program is available globally in multiple languages, including English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Getting Familiar with Diverse Digital Skills Amid Lockdown

With new emerging business centers demanding a steady pool of talented professionals and certified Cloud computing developers, IBM decided to launch its own edutech platform. Open P-TECH will offer students and educators direct access to digital learning resources in various trending specializations as well as emerging technologies. These include:

• AI and Machine Learning
• Customer Experience Management for Contact Centers
• Cloud Computing
• Blockchain
• Fintech
• Cybersecurity, and so on.

Training in technologies such as AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity, along with professional skills, like Design Thinking, that are highly valued in the market set Open P-TECH apart.

At the time of this announcement, Ginni Rometty, IBM Executive Chairman explained IBM’s vision into education and research, and bringing it for free to every device is what it felt was right, now that almost the whole of our planet is under lockdown.

Ginni said,

“As the pandemic accelerates digital transformation, new ways of learning must keep pace if we are to equip all young people with skills relevant to the digital era and marketplace.”

“On the one hand, this is a massive challenge; on the other, this presents a great opportunity to better prepare people for new collar careers.  Open P-TECH is a free platform designed to provide relevant workplace skills to anyone in the world so they can be successful in this digital era.”

Open P-TECH has been on IBM’s roadmap for some years now. In 2011, it was first launched as P-TECH, Pathways to Technology Early College High School. This model has been adopted in 220 schools across 24 countries with over 150,000 students and 600 corporate partners.

Owing to it a grand success during the decade, IBM took a leap forward to digitally scale the resources to help students and professionals.

What Does Open P-Tech Offer?

Open P-TECH scales the most essential workplace preparation elements of the P-TECH program making them available to more students than ever before.

Open P-TECH provides modules for students and teachers that include courses on emerging technologies and courses on professional competencies, both leading to free digital badges that students can share on their online resumes.

Using the platform, students preparing for internships and new collar jobs earn the same badges as professionals in the field.

These educational resources would enable students to economically utilize their free time as they prepare for their higher education and eventually, their careers and entrepreneurial ambitions.

Targeting global citizens, the Open P-TECH will bring components of the P-TECH model to 250,000 additional students, many of whom would otherwise not have access to innovative digital learning.

In Brazil, for example, Bradesco will be deploying Open P-TECH to more than 9,000 high school students, making the program available for those most in need.

In addition to Open P-TECH, IBM also offers a paid professional returnship program, the IBM Tech Re-Entry. It’s a two-year course for technical professionals who are looking to fill into their career gaps and willing to rejoin without taking a pay cut or a demoted job title.

The IBM Apprenticeship Program, which is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, includes a 12-24 month program that pairs apprentices with an IBM mentor to work on actual IBM projects in technology’s fastest-growing fields, such as cybersecurity, mainframe administration, and software development.

If you are interested in the Open P-TECH, Please register here: https://open.ptech.org

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