IBM will expand its "new collar" career program to more than a dozen community colleges over the next six months.
"New collar" jobs value knowledge and interest over traditional four-year college degrees, according to IBM. "What's most important in these roles is having the right mix of skills and experience that our clients need in fast-growing areas like cloud computing, cybersecurity, network management and digital design," Diane Gherson, senior vice president of human resources at IBM, said in a March news release.
IBM plans to work with community colleges near its major U.S. facilities to offer underserved students the opportunity to participate in internships and apprenticeships at the company. Through a partnership with Raleigh, N.C.-based Wake Technical Community College, for example, IBM has created programs to train students in cloud computing, data science and cybersecurity.
New collar candidates accounted for roughly 15 percent of IBM's U.S. hiring in 2016. "We're delighted to be providing more community college students with access to emerging technologies at the forefront of our industry, as well as hands-on exposure to new collar career paths," said Sam Ladah, vice president of talent at IBM.