Big Blue Back to School: Generous or Down-Sizing Smoke Screen??

Big Blue Back to School
Article: Big Blue Back to School : "On a completely related note, IBM announced a "Transition to Teaching" initiative today to help transform IBMers into U.S. schoolteachers in an effort to stave off teacher attrition and boost interest and aptitude in math and science among American students. The Cliff Notes version: IBMers would be given financial assistance in the form of tuition reimbursement and stipends while they take a leave of absence from the company to seek teaching credentials and begin student-teaching, before ultimately becoming full-time teachers and leaving IBM's employ. Datamation blogs it here and hints we could quickly be moving to the top of our class."
Article: Big Blue Back to School

My Opinion?

This will be nice for those close to retirement or dissatisfied with corporate life. However, I think in the long run, IBM is planning to terminate a nice number of employees and thinks it has figured out a way to not announce a need to down-size, (ie. overseas outsourcing) while being helpful to employees whose heads are on the chopping block by providing new career training. No red and white in Old Blue... Oh, the miracles of modern "spin!"

This is a really lucky project for "soon be let go" IBM employees. However, they probably land better paying, moe respected jobs anyway- after all they landed jobs with Big Blue to start with, right?

A word to the wise IBMers heading for the Big Apple: Sometimes the devil you know is better than the NYC devil you don't know. Switchers beware.

Hey, IBM, can you send us a quality Chancellor?