A new-collar worker is an individual who develops technical and soft skills needed to work in the contemporary

technology industry Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

through nontraditional education paths. The term was introduced by IBM CEO

Ginni Rometty Virginia Marie "Ginni" Rometty (born July 29, 1957) is an American business executive who served as executive chairman of IBM after stepping down as CEO on April 1, 2020. She previously served as chairman, president and CEO of IBM, becoming the ...

in late 2016 and refers to "middle-skill" occupations in technology, such as

cybersecurity Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, the ...

analysts,

application developer A computer programmer, sometimes referred to as a software developer, a software engineer, a programmer or a coder, is a person who creates computer programs — often for larger computer software. A programmer is someone who writes/creates ...

s and

cloud computing Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage ( cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over mul ...

specialists.

Etymology

The term "new-collar job" is a play on “blue-collar job”. It originated with IBM's CEO Ginni Rometty, relating to the company's efforts to increase the number of people qualified for technology jobs. In November 2016, Rometty wrote an open letter to then-President-elect

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

, which introduced the idea of "new-collar jobs" and urged his support for the creation of these types of roles. Rometty coined the term in response to new employment designations as industries are moving into a new technology era, and jobs are created that require new skills in

data science Data science is an interdisciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract or extrapolate knowledge and insights from noisy, structured and unstructured data, and apply knowledge from data across a br ...

and

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...

Occupations and education requirements

According to Rometty, "relevant skills, sometimes obtained through vocational training", are the qualifying characteristics of new-collar work. Typical new-collar jobs include: cloud computing technicians, database managers,

analysts,

user interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...

designers, and other assorted IT roles. Technical skills and education are required for these roles but not necessarily a four-year college degree. Skills may be developed through nontraditional education such as community college courses and industry certification programs. Employers of new-collar workers value the ability to adapt and learn, equally to more formal education. As well, training for new-collar jobs often involves development of relevant soft skills. Due to a widespread skills gap, industry demand for new-collar workers has led to the development of education initiatives focused on technical skills. Examples of such initiatives include a partnership between

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...

and about 37 aviation maintenance schools in the US to develop a curriculum focused on skills needed in the aviation industry, and IBM's P-Tech program for high-school and associate degree.

Usage

In the United States, the "New Collar Jobs Act" was released by Representatives

Ted Lieu Ted W. Lieu (; born March 29, 1969) is an American politician and Air Force Reserve Command colonel who has represented California's 33rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015. The district includes much of weste ...

(California),

Matt Cartwright Matthew Alton Cartwright (born May 1, 1961) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative from Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district since 2013. The district, numbered as the 17th district from 2013 through 2019, inc ...

(Pennsylvania) and

Ann McLane Kuster Ann L. McLane Kuster (born September 5, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously worked as a lobbyist. Early life and education Kuster was b ...

(New Hampshire) in July 2017. The Act sought to provide scholarship funding and debt relief for individuals who study cybersecurity and take up cybersecurity roles, as well as establishing tax breaks for employers that offer cybersecurity training. In August 2017, Virginia Lt. Governor

Ralph Northam Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

announced a vocational training program titled "Get Skilled, Get A Job, and Give Back", focused on skills for new-collar jobs.

References

{{IBM, state=collapsed 2016 neologisms Employment classifications IBM Office work Social classes

Etymology

Occupations and education requirements

Usage

See also

References