Salesforce has announced a significant initiative to offer free hands-on AI courses and certifications through 2025.
This effort represents an investment of over $50 million aimed at preparing individuals for future job opportunities in the AI space. As part of the program, Salesforce will create an AI Center at its headquarters, designed to serve as a pop-up training facility.
Additionally, the company plans to expand these AI training spaces to various offices around the world, offering educational opportunities not just to employees but also to communities globally. This significant investment of over $50 million aims to bridge the AI skills gap and empower individuals to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Executive urgency to incorporate AI tools into business operations has increased seven times over the past six months and is now a top concern, above inflation or the broader economy, according to Slack research. But the same research shows that more than two-thirds of workers have yet to use the technology at work — and only 15% of workersstrongly agree that they have the education and training necessary to use AI effectively. “The advent of AI and agents represents the biggest technological shift of our generation, and will radically change how people work,” said Brian Millham, President and Chief Operating Officer at Salesforce. “We need to ensure everyone is equipped with the skills they need to succeed in this new AI world.”
Expanding access to AI training
Salesforce has already helped hundreds of thousands of professionals develop technical skills through premium instructor-led training and resume-worthy certifications. The company hopes to reach 100,000 more learners through these new offerings and help every Trailblazer become an Agentblazer.
In addition to the premium content, Trailhead recently expanded its free online courses to offer AI-specific skills training, including AI fundamentals, ethical AI use, prompting, and more. Since June 2023, employees, jobseekers, and learners have earned more than 2.6 million AI and data badges to unlock critical skills. Salesforce has begun providing AI training spaces in its offices around the world. In June, the company opened its first AI Center in London, and will unveil a new pop-up AI Center at its headquarters in San Francisco in 2025, with plans to roll out additional training centers in key hubs around the world like Chicago, Tokyo, and Sydney. These physical spaces will host in-person courses offered through Trailhead, as well as bring together industry experts, partners, and customers to advance AI innovation and offer urgent upskilling opportunities.
Upskilling a 72,000-person workforce using trusted AI
Salesforce is helping upskill its 72,000 employees by introducing global quarterly AI learning days to give employees hands-on time with the latest AI innovations. These innovations include Agentforce, a groundbreaking suite of autonomous AI agents that augment employees and handle tasks in service, sales, marketing, and commerce, driving unprecedented efficiency and customer satisfaction. And, the company will dedicate a floor in its headquarters in San Francisco, called the AI Knowledge Center, to create immersive learning experiences for employees around the world.
To date, the company has rolled out more than 100 AI-powered tools and technologies to help its global workforce use AI to focus on more meaningful work. Employees today use Trailhead to understand how to use AI and agents in their jobs, with nearly 40% of the 2.6 million AI and data badges earned on Trailhead belonging to Salesforce employees. And, as customer zero for its own products, Salesforce has thousands of employees using trusted Agentforce Agents to automate repetitive tasks and work smarter and faster. Since the launch of Slack AI in February — which uses a conversational interface to find answers, summarize information, and spark ideas – Salesforce employees have saved nearly 3 million work hours.
“As with other technological revolutions, AI will transform the way we work, creating new jobs and opportunities – it already has. It’s our responsibility as employers to provide training opportunities to ensure the workforce has the skills needed to succeed in those roles,” said Nathalie Scardino, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce. “Salesforce has always been a platform for change, and grounded in our values, we’re bringing the full power of Salesforce – from our technology to our spaces to our people – to bring everyone along.”
Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
