IBM has been in Ireland over 60 years and has over 3000 employees across the country and yet despite its scale and longevity, the organisation has found it challenging to embrace and integrate the ever-growing range of emerging technologies. These include AI, cognitive computing, cyber security, cloud computing and many more.
Dave Feenan, Network Manager, ICT Skillnet recently sat down with Carmel Somers, the Organisational psychologist and talent Manager of IBM’s Ireland Lab., to discuss how industry can deal with the challenges of changing technologies and how IBM looked to bridge the skills gap in this context.
You can listen to some interesting insights that Carmel shares in the video below. With careful planning and the support of ICT Skillnet, Carmel is satisfied that the best approach has been taken for both the organisation and the individuals in it who work with these technologies.
How IBM has bridged the skills gap in Ireland
In the past, IBM was a global leader in the manufacturing space but with a trend towards outsourcing and a decline in that sector, the company had to adapt and look to new ways of adding value for its customers. Ultimately it changed strategy and moved to a whole new delivery model. Along that journey, IBM faced a significant challenge – it had to cross-skill and upskill a large number of people into new job areas, using technologies that they may have had little or no knowledge of previously.
Carmel describes how IBM worked with employees to help them embrace new technologies, not just for the benefit of IBMs immediate business needs, but also for their own professional development. The company worked with ICT Skillnet to plan and deliver a wide range of courses and training programmes, designed to be relevant to the commercial requirements of the business now and into the future.
This video outlines how the two organisations worked together successfully to roll out this plan and how it has effectively changed the profile of the workforce, for the benefit of all.
Partner with ICT Skillnet
If your organisation is challenged by new technologies and you feel its time to plan a way forward in terms of developing the skills inhouse to embrace new tech – whether that involves cyber security, dev ops, managing big data and more – then touch base with ICT Skillnet. We have plenty of experience in helping organisations to address business needs through upskilling and cross-skilling existing employees. Advantages of working with us include
- You can join a group of like-minded business managers within your industry sector- this allows you to share experiences and it opens up opportunities to collaborate.
- We work together with industry to identify the next big trend, so that you can be ahead of the curve.
- ICT Skillnet effectively offers back office and HR support, by helping organisations and employees to have access to the best possible opportunities to upskill in current technologies.
IBM and others are constantly evolving and upskilling to meet industry demands. The technological landscape changes rapidly but by investing in developing the right tech skills, both the organisation and its employees stay relevant – now and going forward.
As Carmel puts it, “We’re not just training for today; we’re training for the future”.