Verizon pledges $70M for free AI worker training
Verizon has announced a $70 million initiative to provide free AI training to American workers, educators and small businesses.
The program, called Verizon AI Skills for America, was announced on September 23. It combines $50 million in new funding with an existing $20 million fund for employees affected by the company’s planned job cuts.
The online portal will offer courses from IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera and OpenAI. Community partners including Goodwill Industries will provide local coaching.
The training targets job seekers, early-career professionals, displaced workers, educators and small-business owners. Verizon says the program could reach hundreds of thousands of people.
Comparable premium AI training can cost more than $700 per person a year, according to the company.
AI is not just a technological shift, it will change the face of every workforce, said CEO Dan Schulman. He urged other large companies to match the investment.
Why it matters: the initiative is one of the largest corporate bets yet on preparing workers for an AI-driven economy.
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