TechBuffalo is excited to boost its successful summer internship program by collaborating with global tech leader IBM.
PowerUpTech – the premier summer internship experience from TechBuffalo – is teaming up with IBM SkillsBuild, a free digital learning platform that equips high school and college students, educators and even adult learners with in-demand skills and access to incredible career opportunities.
“We’re helping students who have tech and tech-aligned skills see where they fit in Buffalo’s tech and entrepreneurial ecosystems,” says Mary Ruelle, TechBuffalo’s director of strategic talent initiatives.
A growing program. A global partner.
Launched in 2023, PowerUpTech has grown rapidly from 160 students and 12 companies in its first year to more than 200 interns and 40-plus local host businesses this summer. Interns gain hands-on experience, connect with local professionals and explore Buffalo through curated events – all while developing career-ready skills.
This year, IBM SkillsBuild adds another layer of value to the program. SkillsBuild offers more than 1,000 online courses, covering everything from digital literacy and cybersecurity to AI and professional skills. The platform is central to IBM’s global commitment to upskill 30 million people by 2030, including 2 million in AI by 2026.
Together, these platforms provide students with the exposure, training and confidence to pursue meaningful careers in tech right here in Buffalo.
“Being able to just be a key tech employer and working with TechBuffalo in that way is also something that we think is important,” says Beth Cote, talent and operations manager for IBM Buffalo.
Building its Buffalo presence
IBM established its Buffalo Client Innovation Center in 2014 as part of the Buffalo Billion initiative. It remains the only IBM center of its kind in the Northeast. By introducing SkillsBuild to local students, IBM reinforces its commitment to building a more inclusive, future-ready workforce in Western New York.
“We’re trying to grow people’s economic mobility. We’re trying to grow the city as a whole. And I think that partnerships help amplify that,” Ruelle says. “It’s exciting to have such a global company like IBM be able to be a part of that collective effort.”
Not just another internship
SkillsBuild also supports TechBuffalo’s broader talent initiatives, which include partnerships with Microsoft’s TechSpark program, LinkedIn Learning and Forage. Together, these tools help students gain confidence, credentials, and a clearer sense of their potential in Buffalo’s evolving tech landscape.
