New York Jobs CEO Council at Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit  

On May 20, our executive director, Kiersten Barnet, joined IBM Chief Impact Officer Justina Nixon-Saintil at Fortune’s inaugural Workforce Innovation Summit to discuss how leading employers are shifting from degree-based hiring to a skills-first approach. 

Moderated by Adam Banicki, head of video at Fortune, the conversation explored how companies like IBM and members of the Jobs Council are expanding access to opportunity by prioritizing in-demand skills, certifications and apprenticeships over traditional credentials. 

IBM’s skills-first model has opened more than half of its U.S. roles to candidates without a four-year degree. In New York, 12% of IBM’s workforce is made up of employees hired without a bachelor’s—and the company has found no significant difference in outcomes between those with degrees and those without. 

Both leaders emphasized that lifelong learning, AI literacy and transferable skills are essential to building an inclusive, future-ready workforce. Their message was clear: the path to economic mobility should not be limited by a diploma.