Project Title : Engaging Youth with IBM Skills Build

Issued By: IBM and RMIT University

Challenge Overview:

This business challenge invites students to develop innovative, youth-centric engagement strategies aimed at improving the reach and impact of IBM Skills Build among youth in Singapore. While IBM Skills Build is a valuable platform that provides skills training for career development, there is an opportunity to increase youth engagement and participation in the program. The challenge is to design strategies that will make IBM Skills Build more appealing, accessible, and engaging for young people, ensuring they take full advantage of the platform’s resources to develop their skills and enhance career prospects.

Project Goal:

Developing Youth-Centric Engagement Strategies: You will be tasked with creating marketing and outreach strategies specifically tailored to engage youth with IBM SkillsBuild. These strategies should aim to increase awareness of the platform and encourage youth to actively participate in learning activities, complete certifications, and use the platform’s resources to gain real-world skills. The strategies should also highlight how these skills are valuable for future career opportunities.

Important Note for Student Teams:

As you develop your ideas to encourage youth engagement with IBM Skills Build, it’s essential to deeply understand your specific target audience and their needs. Ensure that your target user/audience and their needs are specific enough. Consider when and why a young person might be motivated to use an online learning platform like IBM Skills Build. Ask yourselves: Could it help them prepare for job interviews by building relevant soft or technical skills? Might it guide them in choosing electives by giving them a foundational understanding of areas like cybersecurity or AI? Could it support them with just-in-time learning before they start a final year project, such as learning how chatbots work before building one? Other possible “value” for the youth to be engaged with IBM Skills Build?

1. Empathy-Driven Research (Embedded within Assessment 1):

a) Conduct interviews to understand the barriers and motivations for a specific youth group in engaging with online learning platforms, especially IBM Skills Build.

b) Identify the skills and career pathways that resonate most with youth and align with the content offered on IBM Skills Build.

2. Sustainable Engagement Strategy (Embedded within Assessment 2 & 3):

a) Develop a campaign strategy that is viable and feasible for IBM to implement, focusing on creating messaging that connects with youth values.

b) Ensure that the campaign is viable, scalable, and sustainable to maintain long-term engagement beyond the initial push.

3. Community Engagement (Embedded within Assessment 2 & 3):

a) Utilize social media challenges, interactive online events, and collaborative projects to foster a sense of community among participants.

b) Consider integrating gamification features, such as achievement badges or leaderboards, to motivate ongoing participation.

c) Leverage real-life testimonials from young professionals who have benefited from IBM Skills Build to inspire peers.

4. Measuring Impact (Embedded within Assessment 2 & 3):

a) Define KPIs for the campaign, such as engagement rates, the number of new users registered on IBM Skills Build, participation in key programs or courses, and the completion rate of certification programs.

• Assess the success of the strategies based on feedback from participants, the growth in active users, and observable changes in career progression among those who engaged with the platform.