Sustainability Profession Scrambles To Fill ‘Extreme Gap’ in Digital Skills To Harness Power of AI

By Catherine Early
Dec 5, 2024 8:30 AM ET

Originally published by Industry Insight from Ethical Corporation Magazine, a part of Thomson Reuters.

IBM runs a free online education platform offering more than 1,000 courses in 20 languages, covering AI, cybersecurity, data analysis and cloud computing. IBM SkillsBuild targets adult learners, high school and university students and staff, and aims to support educating communities underrepresented in the technology sector such as women and people on low incomes.

In November 2023, it launched new sustainability skills courses under SkillsBuild. Each learner receives AI-powered recommendations, while interdisciplinary coursework connects topics such as ecology and biodiversity with training in AI and data analytics. Introductory courses teach the connections between sustainability and technology through historical insights, while advanced coursework will ask learners to apply skills to sustainability topics across AI, cybersecurity and ESG reporting.

Demands for this type of training is growing, according to IBM chief impact officer Justina Nixon-Saintil.

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