International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and Pearson, Plc (PSO) announced Thursday they're joining forces to tackle a problem that's becoming impossible to ignore: technology is evolving faster than people can learn new skills.
The partnership brings together IBM's watsonx technology and Pearson's deep expertise in education and lifelong learning. The goal is to create AI-powered learning products that can help workers keep up as artificial intelligence fundamentally reshapes what jobs look like and what skills they require.
This isn't just a nice-to-have. According to Pearson's research, inefficient career transitions and skills mismatches are costing the U.S. economy $1.1 trillion every year. That's a staggering number that reflects how painful it is when workers have the wrong skills for available jobs, or when transitions between roles take too long.
The new tools will be built using watsonx Orchestrate and watsonx Governance, IBM's enterprise AI platforms. IBM will also help Pearson develop a custom AI learning platform similar to IBM Consulting Advantage, blending human expertise with AI assistants and agents to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and improve data-driven decision-making.
What This Means For Access
Under the partnership, Pearson becomes IBM's primary strategic partner for customer upskilling and workforce transformation. That's more than just a title. IBM's global clients and its 270,000 employees will get access to Pearson's full suite of learning products.
This includes Credly for digital credentialing, Faethm for workforce planning, and Pearson Professional Assessments, which will handle IBM's certification exams globally. The companies are also exploring ways to verify AI agents' capabilities before deployment, combining IBM's responsible AI expertise with Pearson's strengths in learning and credentialing.
Why The CEOs Think This Matters
"Technology is evolving faster than human skills can keep pace. To close this gap, learning must be embedded seamlessly into the flow of work," said Omar Abbosh, CEO of Pearson. "Together with IBM, we're building trusted AI-powered learning tools that will help people and organizations adapt, learn, and thrive in a world of constant change."
Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, put it more simply: "Whether you're leading a company or just graduating, everyone needs to build new skills for the AI era. IBM and Pearson are bringing AI-powered education to more organizations to help people learn faster."
The partnership reflects a broader reality: as AI transforms industries, the ability to quickly reskill workers isn't just about competitiveness anymore. It's becoming essential for economic stability.
IBM Price Action: IBM shares were down 0.14% at $312.24 at the time of publication on Thursday.