IBM to develop new collar talents

CEBU, Philippines —  IBM Philippines pledged to develop “new collar” talents in Cebu to bridge the skills gap brought about by digital disruption.

New Collar jobs are roles in some of the technology industry’s faster growing fields - from cybersecurity and cloud computing to cognitive business and digital design - that do not always require a traditional degree. What they do require is the right mix of in-demand skill sets.

The company’s Chief Technology Officer, Lope Doromal said in a press conference that IBM is now talking to public schools in Cebu to prepare for the province’s new set of industry skills requirement, which has not been properly addressed yet.

Through its P-TECH School Model (“Pathways in Technology Early College High School”) program, IBM Philippines together with its partner industries initially tapped the Taguig City University to create this new education platform and opportunity for local industry partners to address new collar skills shortage.

P-Tech will help increase the pool of skilled Filipino talents needed as companies across sectors ramp up their digital transformation efforts.

According to IBM Philippines country manager for marketing and communications, corporate citizenship Agnes A. Africa, the company is currently discussing with several public schools in Cebu to provide the same platform.

The Philippines is the second ASEAN country, after Singapore, to replicate the P-TECH model, and will be the tenth globally, after successful implementations in the United States, Morocco, Australia and Taiwan. Singapore, Korea, Ireland, Brazil, and Colombia have announced that P-TECH will be implemented in their countries during 2019.

Created by IBM in 2011, P-TECH creates a direct path between high school, college, and career by uniting the expertise of the public and private sectors to strengthen education and reinvigorate local economies.

To date, P-TECH has been replicated in more than 110 schools worldwide, and is expected to be in more than 200 schools by the end of 2019.

More than 550 businesses in technology, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing currently participate in the initiative as industry partners.

In the Philippines, P-TECH will span grades 11 to 12, with students graduating with their Associate’s Degree in Computer Technology. Beginning in senior high school, students will benefit from mentorships, worksite visits and project days -- all of which will provide early exposure to careers in industries and disciplines that involve a background in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

As students progress in high school and college coursework, they will participate in paid internships that provide real workplace experiences.

These opportunities will equip students with the necessary technology and workplace skills, as well as the degrees for competitive and fulfilling “new collar” careers.

At the same time, this model and its growing ecosystem will help tackle new workforce challenges in the Philippines, including the “potential upside for ~654k net new jobs to be created by 2022, from a baseline of 1.15 million jobs in 2016”, according to the Philippine IT BPM Accelerate PH Future Ready Roadmap 2022.

On August 12, 2019 the Philippines became just the sixth country in the world to open a new type of school called P-TECH, a groundbreaking public education model that aligns education with workforce development challenges.

P-TECH students can graduate in as little as four years with public high school diplomas and no-cost, public two-year university degrees aligned to industry needs. High schools and universities coordinate with industry partners, which provide workplace experiences, including paid mentorship and internships. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but when students graduate, companies already know them, and can make hiring decisions with confidence.

IBM recently held a “Digital Adoption Conference” preparing companies in Cebu to be prepared for the disruptions of technology which may make or break their respective businesses.