Previous |
Next Facebook Rivalry Heats Up Between Texas A&M and Louisiana State U. |
July 30, 2009, 10:00 AM ET
IBM Plans to Connect Students With Mentors Through Facebook
By this fall, Taylor Vogt could be connecting to thousands of IBM professionals with just a few clicks through his Facebook page.
Through a Facebook application, which IBM plans to offer in a pilot program in the United States this fall, students like Mr. Vogt, a sophomore at Pace University, can find mentors to give them practical or career advice, or oversee student projects, said Tim Willeford, a spokesman for IBM.
“We have existing mentorship programs within IBM, so it’s a natural extension that we’re trying to connect experts of multiple disciplines to university students,” Mr. Willeford said. “It’s one of the next steps in education.”
Students would log in to an application that would connect them to IBM experts with similar interests, skills, or career goals. Together they could contribute to message boards, create groups, or develop independent projects. Similar mentor programs have been offered in several countries, including India, Mr. Willeford said.
Mr. Vogt is part of a student advisory council forming through IBM to strengthen relationships between universities and the industry – like those formed through the mentor program -- which the company hopes will help improve education and attract students of multiple disciplines to get in on building a “smarter planet.”
A smarter planet would include developing “interdisciplinary skill requirements for students (and schools) to compete in a smarter world,” and creating smarter health care, smarter cities, and the technology necessary to transform electricity grids into smart grids, a Web site about IBM's program said.
“Facebook and MySpace are great places for social networking, but they don’t really have a goal. They don’t make the kind of connections you need to move forward,” Mr. Vogt said. “This platform is helping students say, Here are my ideas, and IBM is saying, Come work with us and we’ll help you.”
He says the Facebook application and the council will help attract more students to careers involving the environment, regardless of their major or study.
“A lot of people don’t know what sustainability is, they don’t know that it’s social and economic as well,” he said. “This is going to show people that the things they’re already interested in – whether it be women’s rights, or volunteerism, or fiscally sound operations – that’s all sustainable. And suddenly they’re realizing that our interests are crossing paths.”
Add Your Comment
Commenting is closed.