McKenna Institute aims to upskill up to 40,000
people over a period of five years
Partnership supports IBM's global commitment
to skilling 30 million people by 2030
FREDERICTON, NB, June 15,
2022 /CNW/ -- McKenna Institute at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) today announced
that it is working with IBM Canada to provide education and career
readiness resources to students and community members in
New Brunswick. To that end,
McKenna Institute is providing enhanced access to IBM SkillsBuild,
with its partners at UNB, Université de Moncton, and Tech Impact. IBM SkillsBuild is a
free, digital training program that prepares users for in-demand,
entry-level IT and non-IT roles in many industries.
As part of the collaboration, McKenna Institute and its partners
will work with students and community members, enhancing their IBM
SkillsBuild experience, by developing customized learning plans and
modules allowing them to work towards desired roles or competencies
within the digital space. McKenna Institute's partnerships with
community organizations will expand the reach of IBM SkillsBuild in
the province.
More than 42% of all jobs, nationally, in 2022 require new
tech-focused skills like analytics or design thinking. However, the
pandemic exacerbated an already glaring global skills gap that left
many of these types of positions unfilled. It has been calculated
by Tech Impact, that in New
Brunswick, this amounts to over 2000 positions within the
technology sector in the next three to five years. Through
customized learning plans on IBM SkillsBuild, the McKenna Institute
and its partners intend to significantly increase the IT capacity
within New Brunswick. This
partnership also aims to provide working-age individuals, who have
been identified as interested in this type of training, the
opportunity to fill those gaps from right here in the province.
According to World Economic Forum, closing the global skills gap
could add $11.5 trillion to global
GDP by 2028, but education and training systems must keep pace with
market demands.
This collaboration is part of IBM's global pledge to provide 30
million people of all ages, particularly those from under-resourced
or traditionally underrepresented populations, with new skills
needed for the jobs of tomorrow by 2030.
Quotes:
"We are grateful for the partnership we share with the
University of New Brunswick and the
McKenna Institute, and we couldn't be more thrilled of this
private-sector investment from IBM Canada. To address New Brunswick's labour force challenges, we
need everyone rowing in the same direction and this initiative will
provide a significant boost to employment in the IT sector." –
Hon. Trevor Holder, Minister of
Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour.
"The digital transformation we are living through is creating
jobs that require new skills. By collaborating with McKenna
Institute and the University of New
Brunswick through IBM SkillsBuild, we are helping address
the skills gap, accelerating our talent pipeline in the province
and providing the new generations of workers with tools they need
to build a better future for themselves and society." -
Dave McCann, IBM Canada
President
"Not only should institutions be provided with training
resources, but they should be provided with resources that work for
them. That is why we felt that our contribution to this project
should focus on helping to tailor these programs and to guide users
through this robust set of modules as needed for an individual
group or position. This unique format of the IBM SkillsBuild
program will accelerate skills acquisition by basing learning on
individual needs." - Hon. Frank
McKenna, Founder of McKenna Institute
"As part of our strategic plan, UNB is committed to expanding
our reach to help solve the challenges of today and tomorrow. We
recognize that our programs and courses must respond to the
changing needs of the world and our students. Investing in this
project with the Université de Moncton and Tech Impact demonstrates our
commitment to driving economic growth and responding to change."
Paul J. Mazerolle, President, and
Vice Chancellor of the University of New
Brunswick
About the McKenna Institute
The McKenna Institute fuels economic growth and social progress
by advancing the use of digital technologies in New Brunswick. The Institute collaborates to
accelerate our talent pipeline, nurture ideas, and enable all
New Brunswick communities to
thrive in a digital world. For more information about the Institute
and its projects, please visit www.unb.ca/mckenna
About IBM Education
As part of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility
efforts, IBM's education portfolio takes a personalized, diverse,
and deep approach to STEM career readiness. IBM's pro bono programs
range from education and support for teens at public schools and
universities to career readiness resources for aspiring
professionals and job seekers. IBM believes that education is best
achieved through the collaboration of the public, private, and
not-for-profit sectors.
IBM SkillsBuild offers more than 1,000 online courses, and
shareable badges upon their successful completion, on topics
ranging from professional workplace proficiencies to technical
skills for many industries, roles, and technologies, including
hybrid cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, help
desk, and project management. It also offers access to mentors,
resume-building projects, as well as partner-led job fairs, and job
referrals. As of February 2022, IBM
SkillsBuild has helped 1.72 million students and job seekers
globally to complete 4 million learning hours in cybersecurity,
data analysis, and other technical disciplines.
For more information about IBM Canada, visit
www.ibm.com/ca-en
Media Contacts:
Ruhee Dhar
IBM Canada External Relations
ruhee@ibm.com
Charlotte Hill
The University of New Brunswick
Charlotte.Hill@UNB.ca
SOURCE IBM Canada