IBM told the Technical Education Authority that colleges and students can access free AI and cybersecurity learning resources, short courses and paid micro‑internships through the company’s SkillsBuild program.

Belinda Scarborough Kennedy, who manages IBM's higher‑education AI programs in the U.S., described two core offerings: free SkillsBuild learning resources and the IBM "AI All Freshman" initiative. "These resources are at no charge as long as they're used for teaching, learning, and noncommercial research," she said. IBM requires institution‑issued email IDs for college participation and allows Gmail IDs for high school and adult learners.

Kennedy demonstrated on the SkillsBuild site that the platform includes courseware, cloud and software access, guest lectures, guided learning experiences and monthly tech talks for students and faculty. She highlighted a set of 12 short AI courses (60–90 minutes each) and said IBM added them in recent months to help colleges integrate AI instruction into existing curricula.

The company’s AI All Freshman initiative is built around a three‑hour course that yields an IBM badge. Kennedy said the program requires a college president or provost to commit that all freshmen will take the course; the goal is that a campus could report all freshmen have achieved the badge within four years. She described additional supports: student mentors, an industry mentorship network and paid micro‑internships. "The paid micro internships are typically done remotely," she said, and cited $250 payments for roughly 10 hours of work on many projects. Kennedy said IBM is organizing hundreds of micro‑internships and works with corporate partners including Northrop Grumman and others to place students.

TEA members asked about the "free" designation and use limitations. Kennedy reiterated the program is free for education and noncommercial research and cannot be used to build commercial products without separate agreements. Several members welcomed the low‑cost, short‑format approach and said they would encourage staff and faculty to pilot the courses this summer.

No formal partnership or procurement action was taken during the presentation. IBM invited colleges and Board Office staff to engage with SkillsBuild resources and the monthly tech talks.

Kennedy concluded by offering to help institutions adopt the AI freshman badge, provide mentoring, and run paid micro‑internship placements tied to the coursework.