Friday, June 13, 1997

IBM wants high school grades, not just diploma, from job seekers

By PAUL NOWELL / AP Business Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - IBM used to ask job applicants for a high school diploma.

Starting this month, the computer giant also wants to see their grades too.

The new policy applies to any prospective worker seeking an entry-level job at one of Big Blue's United States manufacturing facilities.

"Entry-level employees need a solid grounding in mathematics and science, as well as strong written and oral communication skills to exchange ideas," said Robbin Suess, personnel director for IBM's Charlotte facility. "These new hiring practices will help ensure that our employees have the academic preparation they need to succeed," she said.

The company will request transcripts from all applicants who have taken high school classes within the last five years.

IBM began implementing the new hiring policy at its plant in Burlington, Vt., in March. The new policy will cover all IBM plants by the end of June, the company said.

The new policy came in response to pleas from educators and corporate executives at a National Education Summit sponsored by IBM and the National Governors Association last year.

"As business leaders, we need to make it clear that we will locate jobs in areas where school districts have demonstrated their commitment to reform," IBM Chairman Louis V. Gerstner Jr. said at the 1996 meeting.

Business leaders at the summit complained that job applicants lacked basic skills in reading, writing and math, forcing them to set up expensive job screening or remedial education programs.

For their part, the governors asked business leaders to insist that future workers know how to read, write and do basic math when they graduate from high school.

The IBM initiative is important for two reasons, Michael E. Ward, superintendent of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, said in a statement.

"First, it will help our young people see how important their own high school performance is in the workplace; and second, it may encourage other companies to adopt similar policies for their job application process," he said.