The STEAM Academy at Carver High School announced that it is participating in P-TECH, a widely praised program for preparing teens for rewarding STEM careers.
The STEAM Academy will focus on helping students earn their associate degree in cybersecurity, a fast-growing profession with more than 13,000 job openings in the Atlanta area. IBM recently committed to training more than 150,000 people in cybersecurity skills over the next three years through a range of programs such as this one.
The Academy is the first in Georgia to join the many organizations that have made P-TECH a success since IBM co-founded the first school in 2011 together with educators. The model is designed to bolster business and improve STEM career readiness, particularly for under-represented communities. P–TECH schools enable students to earn both their high school diploma and a two–year associate degree linked to growing, competitive STEM fields, and offer students workplace experiences that include industry mentoring, worksite visits, paid internships and first–in–line for job considerations with a school’s company partner.
“We are excited and honored to collaborate with IBM and P-TECH and give our students the opportunity for college attainment and career readiness through this pioneering program that will arm them with the skills and knowledge required for 21st Century Jobs,” said Yusuf Muhammad, Principal of The STEAM Academy. “This a tremendous example of how public-private collaborations can help ensure students succeed not just in school, but beyond.”
The STEAM Academy at Carver High School today joins the network of 210 P-TECHs in the United States, which has grown by 82 schools during the past year. Schools now collaborate with 200 community colleges worldwide, and are affiliated with at least 600 industry partner companies, which provide mentorships, internships and relevant workplace experience to students.
“The P-TECH model is part of IBM’s longstanding commitment to education and skilling with a focus on underserved communities. We are thrilled to see more learners benefitting from the program, and how many young people worldwide are increasingly gaining exposure to disruptive technologies for STEM careers in all industries,” said Lydia Logan, VP of Education at IBM. “The expansion of this school model is part of IBM’s goal to skill 30 million people of all ages with new skills needed for modern jobs by 2030.”
The difficulty employers worldwide face in finding skilled workers poses a significant hurdle to economic growth. According to the World Economic Forum, closing the global skills gap could add US$11.5 trillion to global GDP by 2028, but education and training systems would need to keep pace with market demands.