IBM selects four organizations for AI and quantum skills cohort

Projects target the education-to-workforce transition

InnovateEDU will partner with IBM through its Pathways Alliance project to prepare future educators for the growing role of AI and digital technologies in schools. The partners will co-develop a national AI & Digital Literacy Workforce Dashboard, a public, open-source tool using IBM watsonx and related learning resources.

The dashboard will examine educator preparation coursework, state certification requirements, AI policy and other data sources. It is intended to help educator programs and state leaders assess where preparation aligns with emerging AI and digital literacy needs. The project will begin with research and design, followed by implementation with a small network of educator preparation institutions before wider release.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade will work with IBM on AI and quantum readiness across Colorado. IBM experts will help develop AI-enabled analytics and decision-support capabilities for talent and economic development strategies. The project will also expand access to quantum tools and resources, including IBM Qiskit, while supporting education and talent development initiatives.

Workforce platforms will use IBM AI tools

Ramona Technologies will work with IBM to enhance and scale its platform for job seekers across Latin America. The platform helps users identify potential fraud and bias in job postings while building skills for the formal labor market.

The project will use IBM Granite models for Spanish-language job-posting analysis, IBM AI Fairness 360 to help identify potential bias, and IBM watsonx to deliver personalized labor rights, digital skills and job-readiness learning through WhatsApp. The work will expand across Ramona’s existing markets in Mexico and Colombia, with plans to reach additional Latin American markets.

In India, Udhyam Learning Foundation will work with IBM to expand its Youth Opportunities Platform. The platform connects students with scholarships, higher education, internships, apprenticeships, skilling courses and employment. The collaboration will explore IBM watsonx and IBM Granite models for personalized career guidance and opportunity discovery, alongside application assistance, interview preparation and post-placement support.

IBM will support the projects through three phases

Each organization will receive a grant of IBM technology and expertise through three phases. The first, co-design, uses IBM Garage and IBM Consulting experts to define solutions and outcomes. The second focuses on building and piloting solutions with technologies including IBM watsonx, Granite AI models, IBM Cloud, IBM Bob Red Hat open-source technologies and IBM Consulting Advantage, while measuring impact.

The final phase covers training and reference materials, transferring solutions into each organization’s long-term IT environment and supporting promotion. EY will provide capacity-building workshops and coaching.

IBM launched the Impact Accelerator in 2022 and has committed up to $75 million in cash and in-kind donations of technology and services through 2028. Before this cohort, the program had supported 25 organizations in areas including sustainable agriculture, clean energy, water management, resilient cities and supply chains. IBM said projects from the first four cohorts are projected to reach over 7 million people.