Get skilled in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity in under 10 hours

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Soft skills are essential to career resilience

By 2025, some 85 million jobs may be lost to the emerging division of labor among humans, machines, and algorithms, according to a World Economic Forum report published in 2020, though 97 million more jobs may emerge that are better adapted to the new dynamic. But with the newest wave of technology, work will become more, not less, human. Workplaces will automate manual, repetitive tasks that can be automated, but people will still be critical for the tasks that rely on distinctly human skills that computers can’t yet replicate. The people who will be most successful in the workplace of the future will be those who cultivate soft skills that relate to how you think, work, and relate to other people. According to Forbes, the Top 16 Essential Soft Skills For The Future Of Work  include critical thinking, decision making, emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration, interpersonal skills and more.

Start your journey to acquire these skills for FREE here

The currency you need in today’s technology-driven job market.

In 2021, IBM pledged to skill 30 million people worldwide by 2030, and through its SkillsBuild offering, learners can take free courses online in topics like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data analysis, and more.

“We are focused on reaching people who have traditionally been left out of the tech sector: women, veterans, refugees, neurodivergent people, underrepresented minorities, and economically disadvantaged people,” Lydia Logan, IBM global vice president for education and workforce development, tells Fortune.

Many of the foundational courses can be completed in less than 10 hours, which makes for a good starting point for learners who may be considering a career switch. This could mean a leg up for candidates looking to break into the tech industry—and cybersecurity in particular, where there’s more than 700,000 open positions in the U.S. These foundation courses provide a high-level overview of the topic, as well as information about the skills needed to succeed. In these courses, learners also have the opportunity to do real-world projects with IBM partners upon completion of a course. And the following courses can be useful for people who are looking to learn a new skill or to potentially make a career switch:

1. Cybersecurity Fundamentals – teaches learners cybersecurity concepts, objectives, and practices and even includes information about the cyber job market. The course focuses on cyber-attacks, cryptography, and security strategies and includes case studies. It takes six hours to complete.
2. Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals – focuses on AI concepts including natural language processing, computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, chatbots, and neural networks. Participants will also learn about the importance of ethical AI and its applications. The course takes about nine hours to complete.
3. Data Fundamentals – This seven-hour course focuses on data analytics, data science, programming languages, and the data ecosystem. Learners even get a chance to see how to clean, refine, and visualize data in IBM Watson Studio, which helps data scientists, developers, and analysts build, run, and manage AI models, according to IBM.
4. Information Technology Fundamentals – focuses on IT basics, including troubleshooting and tools that IT professionals use. Learners also focus on computer basics, networking, hardware, software, and computer security. Participants practice helping a customer use a simulated remote connection tool.

The digital credentials earned by taking these courses help an individual with no work experience to add value their resume. The recognition not only verifies skills acquired, but also signals potential employers the learning agility of the individual and the growth-mindset needed to be successful at any technology company.

About the Author:

Sonia Malik, Global Program Director, IBM, Corporate Social Responsibility leads the SkillsBuild Program. IBM SkillsBuild is a free education program focused on underrepresented communities in technology, that helps adult learners, and high school and university students and faculty, develop valuable new skills and access career opportunities. The program includes an online platform that is complemented by customized practical learning experiences delivered in collaboration with a global network of partners and is in support of IBM’s global skills pledge to Skill 30 million by 2030.