IBM’s apprenticeship program was officially validated by the American Council on Education, paving the way for academic institutions to award up to 45 college credits to students participating in the 12-month program. The credits are equivalent to about three semesters of courses.
The apprenticeship program gives participants technical education in software engineering, through what it calls an “earn-while-you-learn model.”
Almost 1,000 apprentices have been trained through IBM’s programming, learning expertise that spans 25 apprenticeship career tracks.
“Amid the pandemic, industry leaders nationwide are rethinking their approach toward education, skills training and hiring,” said Kelli Jordan, director of skills, career and performance at IBM.
“Apprenticeships have become an increasingly critical element in the country’s skills portfolio because they can rapidly provide more people with access to new career opportunities, all while continuing to earn a paycheck. This validation by ACE reaffirms the impact of IBM’s apprenticeship model and its ability to provide an opportunity to learn in-demand technical skills that can lead to some of technology’s fastest growing careers without taking on student debt or taking time away from the workplace.”
The project is in its pilot phase after being launched earlier this year in partnership with the Charles Koch Foundation. When the pilot phase concludes this fall, the American Council on Education will open up the opportunity for programs to be evaluated to any apprenticeship program in the country, for a fee.
Approved programs such as IBM’, will be represented as endorsed by the council on a platform called Credly Acclaim, which translates experiences, skills and knowledge gained in program to digital credentials.
