AI Skills for America, announced by the telecom company on Wednesday (Sept. 23), is designed for job seekers, small businesses, early career professionals and displaced workers.
“Strengthening the American economy starts with making sure every individual has the opportunity to adapt and succeed in a rapidly changing world. AI isn’t just a technological shift—it will change the face of every workforce around the world,” Dan Schulman, Verizon CEO, said in a news release.
“Companies, working closely together and with the public sector, have a responsibility to invest in people with the same urgency they invest in technology,” he added.
According to the release, the program combines existing $20 million Reskilling and Career Transition Fund for departing workers with $50 million in new funding to offer access to AI skills training at no charge to learners.
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The company said it is also curating a portal providing training information from AI experts including Anthropic, Coursera, Google, IBM, Microsoft and OpenAI at no cost.
“This type of premium AI training can cost more than $700 per person per year,” the release added. “By providing these resources for free, Verizon and its partners are helping bridge the skills gap for learners at every career stage—including students, job seekers, small businesses, educators, and transitioning professionals.”
In related news, PYMNTS spoke Wednesday with WorkWhile CEO Simon Khalaf, who offered a counter to arguments about AI and labor focused on how many jobs machines will take. He is planning for another scenario: not enough workers for the positions employers hope to fill.
He sees a labor shortage on the horizon, a forecast based partially on what WorkWhile is witnessing in its hourly labor marketplace.
Khalaf told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster that demand for workers on the platform increased 22% from July to August and another 14% as of late September, with the company now showing more jobs than available workers.
“This job apocalypse is such a hoax,” Khalaf told Webster. “There are no job losses related to AI. I’ve provided all the counter data, and I’m letting you know today for your podcast that the U.S. is entering the great labor shortage era.”
The report added that his argument goes beyond WorkWhile’s demand. AI infrastructure needs labor to construct data centers, fueling demand for trades and occupations that other sectors need as well.
Khalaf offered the example of forklift operators, arguing that shifting workers into data-center projects can leave eCommerce and distribution companies vying for the same labor.
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