Building IBM i Skills Through Collaboration and Partnership

By Linda Alkire
The IBM Power Skills Academy (PSA) is on a mission to develop and nurture a new generation of IBM i professionals, but we can’t do it alone.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child” which means that to become a successful adult, children need a network of people, including family, friends, teachers and community leaders, to contribute to their well-being.  When I think about how IBM and specifically PSA can do their part to close the IBM i skills gap, the concept of “it takes a village” really resonates. In this case, it takes a community to develop a student with IBM i skills.

IBM i Skills Today = Expanded Career Opportunities Tomorrow

Thousands of companies around the world rely on IBM i to run their mission-critical workloads, from large banks, retailers and hospitals to midsize and small shops; the opportunities to find a career that you love are boundless. These companies understand the value of having knowledge of the IBM i operating system (OS) and technologies. Register with the Power Skills Academy and experience it for yourself!

Program Benefits for Students and Educators

  • Access to IBM developed courses, labs, learning paths, digital credentials and more.
  • Hands-on access to IBM Power hardware, OSes and technologies.
  • Guest lectures by IBM i experts from around the world.
  • Access to companies across the globe that are seeking candidates with IBM i skills through our Partners in Education (PiE) program.
  • Sponsorship opportunities to attend premier IBM i education events hosted by COMMON, the world’s largest association of IT professionals that focuses on IBM and related technologies.

Stand out From the Competition 

  • Review the courses: PSA offers a carefully curated curriculum of courses that will give you a solid foundation for success. Review the courses, plan your route and begin your learning journey.
  • Ace the courses: Build your knowledge of key IBM i concepts and practices, and you’ll be on your way to finding the perfect career.
  • Earn badges: Complete the courses, pass the tests and reap the rewards with digital credentials that’ll tell employers you have the foundational skills they want in a new hire. PSA will stand with you every step of the way.

For IBM i Companies: Collaboration Has Its Benefits

Going back to the “it takes a village” analogy, IBM i companies and partners are the village. According the 2025 IBM i Marketplace Survey, 60% of respondents listed IBM i skills as a top concern when planning their IT environment; this, second only to cybersecurity. Clearly, the skills shortage is an issue we all care about and want to resolve. PSA has programs that can help.

Connect With the Next Generation of IBM i Talent

It may seem like a daunting task, but PSA is working hard to offer programs that enable companies to connect with students and educators to help close the skills gap, such as:

Power Skills Match
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Power Skills Match featured companies reach a wider pool of candidates for their hard-to-fill IBM i job roles.

Guest Lectures
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Guest Lectures allow you to share your knowledge by teaching one of our courses, presenting on an IBM i topic of interest to you or sharing a story about your specific career and what skills your company desires in new employees.

PiE
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PiE events allow you to meet and network with students interested in a career that allows them to use their IBM i knowledge.

Success Stories
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Success Stories highlight how the IBM i community, in collaboration with PSA, is bringing IBM i to their alumni or regional colleges.

Collaboration in Action

Here are two examples of how PSA and the community are working together to bring IBM i to colleges across the globe, with many more to come.

Northwestern State University (NSU) in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Monty Chicola, president of IBM partner company, Real Vision Software, and PSA successfully brought a first-of-its-kind course to NSU that focuses on RPG IV programming and incorporates AI concepts. This course is expected to become a staple in NSU’s curriculum, with plans to expand into different areas such as other IBM software and cloud technologies.

University programs in South Africa. IBM i companies in South Africa, like many others around the world, are struggling to find skilled IBM i professionals to fill open positions. To address this need, Marius le Roux, IBM Power Champion and owner of MLR Consulting, in partnership with PSA, is working to bring an IBM i program to a local university that will eventually position the school as a leading provider of in-demand graduates to companies around the country.

Key Takeaways

PSA is committed to building partnerships with colleges and universities around the world to make it easy for them to add IBM Power and IBM i to their curricula.
PSA and IBM i companies have a common goal, and collaborating is the key to achieving it.
 
Your feedback and experiences are invaluable!
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