News Release

NJIT expands offering of IBM Skills Academy workshops, launches Skills Academy Consortium

Business Announcement

New Jersey Institute of Technology

This summer, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will offer a series of workshops, boot camps and other initiatives aimed at preparing NJIT students and alumni, professionals and other groups with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today's digital economy. The program stems from last fall's flagship alliance between NJIT's Martin Tuchman School of Management (MTSM) and IBM Global University Programs. NJIT is the first university in the country to adopt the IBM Skills Academy, a key component of IBM Global University Programs.

Through the NJIT/MTSM - IBM Skills Academy, workshop and boot camp participants will gain access to IBM digital technologies in business intelligence, business process analytics and predictive analytics, as well as IBM Watson analytics. The technologies will be delivered to NJIT via the IBM Cloud. Participants also will be able to earn industry-recognized Explorer and Mastery digital badges and technology certifications for IBM business data science tools and data platforms. Such badges and certifications indicate hands-on proficiency in using advanced business and management tools, and help provide a competitive edge in the job marketplace -- a particular boon for students who are interested in internships and co-ops or who are just entering the workforce.

"The Tuchman School is committed to ensuring that all its students are ready to meet the challenges of the business world, understand the technologies and tools required to succeed in business and have the hands-on experience necessary to build their skills and expand their knowledge," said MTSM Dean Reggie Caudill, who initiated and leads the NJIT-IBM alliance. "We also look forward to taking this program beyond the MTSM classroom, and to collaborating with other NJIT colleges. Our goal is to train community college faculty and support veterans, management professionals and NJIT alumni -- all of whom will serve to strengthen the talent pipeline for IBM and our other corporate partners."

Access to the NJIT/MTSM - IBM Skills Academy will be available through a number of pathways, all led by experienced MTSM faculty and staff. Pathways will include:

  • Hands-on workshops in MTSM's Business Analytics Lab.
  • Hands-on boot camps incorporating self-paced lab coursework.
  • A weekend boot camp including both self-paced online coursework and face-to-face hands-on learning over five Saturdays.

Additionally, the NJIT/MTSM - IBM Skills Academy will continue to integrate its programs into the school's curriculum and courses in three career tracks: business intelligence analyst, business process analyst, and predictive analytics modeler. Management professionals and veterans also will have the opportunity to earn certification toward continuing education units through a specially designed IBM + Project Management Certification program.

Finally, NJIT will spend the coming months working closely with IBM to create and develop a Consortium of IBM Skills Academy Business and Academic Partners in New Jersey and the greater New York metropolitan area. The university will facilitate and promote networking between Explorer and Mastery badge earners, and consortium partners. These partners will have access to a pipeline of new talent, as well as specialized training for current employees in the area of business data science. In addition, as demand changes in the tech marketplace, members will be able to help shape future IBM Skills Academy curriculum to meet future needs.

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For more information about the NJIT/MTSM - IBM Skills Academy, visit: http://management.njit.edu/njitmtsm-ibm-skills-academy, or contact Lori Nanton: nanton@njit.edu.

About New Jersey Institute of Technology

One of only 32 polytechnic universities in the United States, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) prepares undergraduate and graduate students and professionals to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT's multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. NJIT has a $1.74 billion annual economic impact on the State of New Jersey, conducts approximately $140 million in research activity each year, and is a global leader in such fields as solar research, nanotechnology, resilient design, tissue engineering and cybersecurity, in addition to others. NJIT is ranked #1 nationally by Forbes for the upward economic mobility of its lowest-income students and is among the top 2 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to PayScale.com.


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