The rapidly escalating and disturbing events resulting from the spread of COVID-19 have rekindled the debate surrounding corporate social responsibility. While struggling to survive, companies face the need to work with employees, customers and the community to minimize the impact of the crisis and build better days.

IBM defined that its first responsibility is with the safety of its employees and the continuity of business for its clients, according to Guillermo Miranda (pictured), digital transformation executive and global head of corporate social responsibility at IBM Corp. In addition, IBM uses its tech expertise to help fight the virus.

“In this frame, what we have done is see what are the most adequate areas to respond to the emergency of the pandemic and using what we know in terms of expertise and the talent that we have,” Miranda said. “[That] is why we decided to work first with high-performance computing.”

Miranda spoke with Dave Vellante, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the IBM Think Digital Event Experience. They discussed how IBM is assisting scientists and the public in the battle against the pandemic, as well as the need for  what Miranda called”new-collar workers” in the tech industry. (* Disclosure below.)

High-performance computing to find vaccine

IBM designs and produces the fastest computers in the world. Summit, a supercomputer developed by IBM for use at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and a consortium of providers of high-performance computing are helping to discover COVID-19 vaccines and drug treatments, according to Miranda.

In addition, the IBM-owned The Weather Company is providing insights and data about county-level COVID-19 information. The computer giant is also offering some of its products for free.

“Watson is a chatbot to inform about what is adequate, what is needed in the middle of a pandemic if you are a consumer,” Miranda stated.

‘New-collar’ workers to supply the tech industry

Despite the new demands in times of crisis, the technology industry also continues to deal with old needs, such as for qualified workforce. IBM believes that one solution is to look for “new-collar workers,”  individuals who develop the skills necessary to work in the digital-driven economy through nontraditional education paths, according to Miranda.

“What we are attempting to do with the ‘new-collar job’ definition is to get rid of the paradigm that the university degree is the only passport to a successful career in the marketplace,” he explained.

One way to achieve this is to study in a P-TECH school, where students earn a high school diploma, an industry-recognized associate degree, and gain relevant work experience in a growing field.

To further support this effort, industry partners must work with school districts and community colleges to deliver the knowledge base of what is actually needed in communities to create real job opportunities, according to Miranda.

“We need to work together in order to train the talent for the future,” he concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the IBM Think Digital Event Experience. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the IBM Think Digital Event Experience. Neither IBM Corp., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE