Computing giant, IBM has rolled out an array of programmes and resources to help students prepare for future jobs and IT professionals develop new technology skills.
The company says the initiative includes new training courses and resources for IT professionals, technology and curriculum materials for educators, and expanded programmes to directly engage students with real-world business challenges.
It adds that the new resources will help reduce a critical technology skills gap outlined in the IBM 2012 Tech Trends Report, released this week. The report, authored by the IBM Centre for Applied Insights, found that only one in 10 organisations has the skills needed to effectively apply advanced technologies such as business analytics, mobile computing, cloud computing and social business.
In addition, nearly half of the educators and students surveyed feel there is a major gap in their institutions' ability to meet the growing demand for advanced technology skills.
"Having a highly skilled workforce is critical to an organisation's ability to innovate, meet client demands and grow," says Jim Corgel, GM ISV and developer relations at IBM. "In response to the growing IT skills gap, IBM is expanding its skills development programmes in key areas such as cyber security, mobile computing and commerce."
In the US alone, IT jobs are expected to grow by 22% through 2020, according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics.
To help faculties better prepare students for these opportunities, IBM says it has unveiled the largest expansion of its Academic Initiative since the programme began.
For the first time, it notes, IBM will offer access to curriculum and training resources on IT security to help students gain market-ready cyber security skills. Cited as the top barrier to adoption of advanced technologies in the IBM Tech Trends Report, cyber security is also a key job growth area.
The information cyber security workforce is expected to nearly double by 2015, IBM notes. The new cyber security offerings include a pre-packaged curriculum that brings real-world technology security scenarios into the classroom, helping students understand enterprise challenges and do in-depth analysis of the trends uncovered in the IBM X-Force report.
The package also includes no-charge access to security software that lecturers can use in the classroom to teach students how to test applications for bugs and check network and virtualised servers for vulnerabilities.
Lecturers and students can remotely access the latest zEnterprise mainframe, which IBM says is a system that can be used to prepare students for real-world computing challenges using enterprise IT skills.
In addition to cyber security, IBM now provides software licences and how-to training materials in three new areas - big data and analytics, commerce, and mobile computing.
To help faculties update their skills on advanced technologies, IBM has also unveiled Knowledge Exchange, an online resource that allows lecturers from around the world to share and collaborate on courseware and best practices. The initial offerings in Knowledge Exchange will feature curricula from grant-winning IBM Smarter Planet faculty members.
According to IBM, as more organisations turn to technology to solve tough business challenges, the need for skilled IT professionals continues to grow in all industries.
In early 2013, the company will host the IBM Career Exploration: Make a difference event, which it says will give current university students and recent graduates the opportunity to interact with IBM executives and leading experts, learn how to build and apply their expertise, and further their networks.
IBM is also expanding its work to bring real-world challenges into the classroom through activities like Watson Case Study Competitions, The Great Mind Challenge, and events like the Student Innovator Challenge, recently held in Singapore, where more than 100 students developed solutions to address Smarter Planet-related challenges.
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