The Challenge
When I joined the IBM SkillsBuild team, we were onboarding new nonprofit and academic partners without a standardized process. Each partner got a slightly different experience depending on who was running the onboarding. That doesn't scale well when you're working with 30+ partners across different learner populations and implementation contexts.
My team and I designed a new end-to-end onboarding program.
What I Built
Pre-Implementation Kickoff
A structured kickoff template covering partner goals, target learner demographics, technical requirements, timeline milestones, and success metrics. The idea is to get alignment before any platform configuration begins.
Enablement Sessions
Two tailored session agendas. One for Adult tenant partners (workforce development, career changers) and one for Student tenant partners (academic institutions, youth programs). Each covers platform navigation, content curation, and reporting.
Permissions Framework
A role-based permissions matrix defining access levels for partner admins, instructors, and learners. It balances partner autonomy with platform governance and data privacy requirements.
Pre-Implementation Kickoff
Before any platform configuration begins, each partner completes a structured kickoff that captures what the team needs to set them up correctly. The template covers six areas:
- Introduction to Partner Programming: Partner organization type, founding year, mission focus, and how they fit into the regional talent pipeline
- Learner Engagement Goal: Target learner count, target year, and whether they'll use the Adult or Student tenant
- Organizational Structure: Programs offered, learner groups served, and geographic footprint
- Group Space Recommendation: Proposed Group Space structure and User Groups, reviewed with the Digital Success Manager before the technical meeting
- Data Visibility Requirements: What leaders need to see — registrations, engagement metrics, active vs. inactive learners, learning plan completions, and activity progress
- Group Space Roles and Permissions: Identifying partner staff who need platform access, including Permissions Manager and secondary contacts
Enablement Session Design
Sessions are structured around a pre-work model — partners review assigned sections of the Partner Enablement Training independently before each live session, then come ready to share one thing that surprised them and one question. This keeps sessions focused on application rather than passive instruction.
Adult Tenant — Session 1: Getting Started
Topics covered live: Platform Administration · Learner Experience & Learning Plan
Pre-work: Getting Started in SkillsBuild · Learner Registration
Adult Tenant — Session 2
Topics covered live: Learning Catalog Builder · Group Space Dashboard · Reporting · Additional Support
Pre-work: Reporting · Content Creation & Learning Catalog · Group Space Dashboards · Partner Support & Partner Community Site
Student Tenant — Session 1: Getting Started
Topics covered live: Platform Administration · Registering Learners
Pre-work: IBM SkillsBuild Overview for Teachers · Registration & Learner Management · Administrative Capabilities
Office Hours (Session 3)
Open Q&A covering best practices for learner registration, learning plan spotlights, and Partner Community Site access.
Accelerated / Refresher Session
A condensed track for returning partners or time-constrained teams covering Learner Registration, Group Space Dashboard & Reporting, and Service Center Builder.
Impact
Having a standardized process reduced partner time-to-activation, kept quality consistent across different partner types, and gave new Digital Success Managers a clear framework they could follow independently.