A new-collar worker is an individual who develops technical and
soft skills needed to work in the contemporary
technology industry through nontraditional education paths.
The term was introduced by
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
CEO
Ginni Rometty in late 2016 and refers to "middle-skill" occupations in technology, such as
cybersecurity
Computer security (also cybersecurity, digital security, or information technology (IT) security) is a subdiscipline within the field of information security. It consists of the protection of computer software, systems and networks from thr ...
analysts,
application developers and
cloud computing
Cloud computing is "a paradigm for enabling network access to a scalable and elastic pool of shareable physical or virtual resources with self-service provisioning and administration on-demand," according to International Organization for ...
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.]Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, 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,]data science
Data science is an interdisciplinary academic field that uses statistics, scientific computing, scientific methods, processing, scientific visualization, algorithms and systems to extract or extrapolate knowledge from potentially noisy, stru ...
, cloud computing
Cloud computing is "a paradigm for enabling network access to a scalable and elastic pool of shareable physical or virtual resources with self-service provisioning and administration on-demand," according to International Organization for ...
and artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of 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, ]cybersecurity
Computer security (also cybersecurity, digital security, or information technology (IT) security) is a subdiscipline within the field of information security. It consists of the protection of computer software, systems and networks from thr ...
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 fro ...
designers, and other assorted IT roles.[ 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.]Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...
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
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) is a New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world' ...
program for high-school and associate degree.
Usage
In the United States, the
New Collar Jobs
Act" was released by Representatives Ted Lieu (California), Matt Cartwright (Pennsylvania) and Ann McLane Kuster (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.Ralph Northam
Ralph Shearer Northam (born September 13, 1959) is an American physician and former politician who served as the 73rd governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022. A pediatric Neurology, neurologist by occupation, he was an officer in the Medical Co ...
announced a vocational training program titled "Get Skilled, Get A Job, and Give Back", focused on skills for new-collar jobs.[
]
Core Skills in New-Collar Roles New-collar roles
typically require a combination of the following skills:
* Technical Skills: Including coding, network administration, data analysis, and cloud infrastructure management.
* Soft Skills: Communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and adaptability.
* Digital Literacy: Proficiency in software tools, online platforms, and understanding data privacy principles.
These skills are often acquired through non-traditional education pathways such as coding bootcamps, community college programs, online certifications, and industry-recognized credentialing programs.
See also
*Designation of workers by collar color
Collar color is a set of terms denoting groups of working individuals based on the colors of their Collar (clothing), collars worn at work. These commonly reflect one's occupation within a broad class, or sometimes gender. White-collar workers are ...
* IBM SkillsBuild
References