Key facts
- IBM aims to train 30 million people by 2030, focusing on AI.
- IBM research indicates 67% of executives believe mindset will be more important than skills by 2030.
- IBM launched the AI Builders Challenge for university students using its AI coding agent, IBM Bob.
- IBM is expanding free access to IBM Bob to 20,000 post-secondary institutions.
- IBM plans to triple entry-level U.S. hires in 2026, redesigning roles around AI.
IBM's Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, Justina Nixon-Saintil, is shifting the company's approach to its goal of training 30 million people by 2030, with a significant focus on AI. IBM's research indicates that by 2030, 67% of executives believe a continuous learning mindset will be more critical than specific skillsets in an AI-first economy. This perspective is influencing IBM's workforce development strategy.
To foster this mindset, IBM has launched the AI Builders Challenge, a global competition for university students utilizing IBM Bob, an AI coding agent designed to support the entire software development lifecycle. The challenge encourages students to build projects and defend their decisions, aiming to address the "AI readiness gap" identified in a survey where 63% of faculty felt graduates were unprepared to use generative AI. Nixon-Saintil expressed concern that students lacking these skills might face fewer job opportunities and struggle to adapt to evolving expectations.
IBM is also expanding free access to IBM Bob to 20,000 post-secondary institutions worldwide via its SkillsBuild platform. Concurrently, IBM plans to triple its entry-level U.S. hires in 2026, with roles redesigned around AI to automate routine tasks and allow junior employees to focus on higher-value work, such as data analysis and collaborative coding.