IBM's answer to IT skills crunch

摘要

As part of an expanded outreach to college IT students, IBM is releasing a set of Web-based tools and resources to help them hone marketable skills in the fastest-growing IT job opportunities. IBM is adding a section to the Web site of its long-standing Academic Initiative program, which until now has focused mainly on working with faculties who teach IT and IT-related courses. The new section is designed for students, with tutorials, games.skills assessments and online forums that can supplement, and be incorporated with, regular college and university courses. "Our key concern is the 'skills pipeline,'" says Kevin Faughnan, an IBM veteran who's been director of the Academic Initiative since 2004. The mega-trends of globalization and services-oriented economies are made possible by IT, creating a growing U.S. and global demand for IT skills, he says."The information system - the hardware and software and networking complex - is what's driving the services-oriented businesses," he says. "They need young workers who have the skills to continue innovating."