Greater Baton Rouge Business Report
Job seekers now have another option for learning new job skills: digital coursework and assistance from Baton Rouge Community College, the BRCC Foundation and IBM.
The SkillsBuild project, which was announced today, is backed by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Mayor Sharon Weston Broome. The program uses IBM’s online employee training platform to provide accredited learning content from IBM and career development coaching from local experts at no cost to learners.
Users receive personalized coaching and practical learning experience, as well as foundational knowledge about digital technologies and professional workplace skills to help them reenter the workforce or switch careers. These skills can be useful for the growing number of “new collar” jobs, or roles that don’t require four-year degrees, such as web developers, cybersecurity experts, customer service specialists, systems administrators, project managers or data analysts.
SkillsBuild offers accredited badges to certify learning, so potential employers can trust the candidate’s education quality. Also through the program job seekers can tap into tech and nontech job referral networks, learn about workplace trends and brush up on professional skills such as resume-writing, time management, communication and collaboration.
Through the SkillsBuild platform, IBM and BRCC will provide employers with an opportunity to seek training and professional development for their employees at no cost.
“Reducing the barrier to high-wage, high-growth career paths is critical to building an inclusive economy, and to supporting the region’s workforce in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Adam Knapp, president and CEO of BRAC in a prepared statement. “The workplace- and skills-based credentials that SkillsBuild innovatively provides will be hugely beneficial to regional employers, and BRAC is committed to engaging the business community in taking full advantage of the program.”