Case Study: IBM Belgium achieves a qualified STEM workforce pipeline with Vitality

IBM - Customer Case Study

IBM Belgium faced the challenge of closing the STEM skills gap and expanding economic and health opportunities for underserved youth by building a reliable pipeline of work-ready talent. Vitality documented and promoted IBM’s P-TECH 9–14 school model in its "Beyond the Four Walls" report, framing education as a social determinant of health and highlighting the initiative’s goal to deliver industry-recognized postsecondary credentials and workplace experience to disadvantaged students.

Vitality showcased how IBM’s integrated six‑year high school/college curriculum, employer mentors, workplace visits and paid internships produced measurable outcomes: 27 P‑TECH schools (expanding to 40), an estimated 18,000 students at full enrollment (2015–16), P‑TECH Brooklyn students earning college credits (67% enrolled in at least one college course; 70% earned C or better; 45% met college‑ready standards), six accelerated graduates with three hired by IBM, and rising attendance and honor‑roll rates at replicated sites. By documenting and sharing these results, Vitality amplified IBM Belgium’s impact and supported wider replication of the model.

IBM Belgium