On the final day of its annual Dreamforce conference, Salesforce announced an impressive initiative to address the skills gap in the AI space. Specifically, the company – that helps organisations reimagine their business for the world of Artificial Intelligence – committed to providing free hands-on AI training and certifications through 2025. Backed by an investment exceeding $50 million!
This offer aims to democratise access to AI education. And, make premium AI courses and certifications available at no cost via Salesforce’s online learning platform, Trailhead. The training aims to help anyone eager to develop skills for future jobs and reach an additional 100,000 learners.
New training centres
As part of this plan, Salesforce will open a pop-up AI Centre at its San Francisco headquarters. With plans to establish additional training centres in major cities such as Chicago, Tokyo, and Sydney. These centres will host in-person courses,. And, focus on fostering collaboration among industry experts, partners, and customers to accelerate AI innovation and offer urgent upskilling opportunities.
“We need to ensure everyone is equipped with the skills they need to succeed in this new AI world,” said Brian Millham, President and COO at Salesforce. With a significant increase in the urgency to incorporate AI tools into business operations, Salesforce aims to equip its workforce and the broader community to meet these demands.
Empowering the workforce
The company is also rolling out global quarterly AI learning days to upskill its 72,000 employees. These will aim to enhance their familiarity with the latest AI innovations – including the newly introduced Agentforce – a suite of autonomous AI agents designed to augment employee tasks in service, sales, marketing, and commerce.
Salesforce’s commitment to skilling the workforce is evident in its track record. Since June 2023, over 2.6 million AI and data badges have been earned through Trailhead. This is a reflection of the significant demand for AI education. The company has already helped hundreds of thousands of professionals develop technical skills through instructor-led training and certifications.
A vision for the future
Nathalie Scardino, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce, emphasised the company’s responsibility to provide training opportunities to prepare workers for the evolving job landscape. “As with other technological revolutions, AI will transform the way we work, creating new jobs and opportunities,” she stated.
With these new initiatives, Salesforce aims to foster an inclusive environment where anyone can succeed in an AI-driven future.
For more information about the Salesforce free AI training opportunities and courses, visit Trailhead at Salesforce’s website.