AI Workforce Consortium

Organization name:
Cisco Systems, Inc. 

Sector and region:
Technology/Education (Global, with concentrated focus on Europe/Middle East/Africa)

Persona focus:
Builder (primary), Enabler (secondary) 

4E stage:
Engage → Explore → Experience → Embed 

Problem Statement

Network and IT professionals need comprehensive AI skills to design, build, and manage infrastructure that supports AI workloads, but traditional certification programs haven't evolved to address AI-specific requirements. Organizations struggle to find qualified professionals who understand both networking fundamentals and AI infrastructure needs, creating a critical skills gap in enterprise AI deployment. 

Solution Approach

Cisco's approach leverages its established Networking Academy infrastructure to deliver AI education at unprecedented scale. Rather than creating new programs, Cisco strategically integrates AI content into existing certification pathways while building the largest train-the-trainer network for AI infrastructure education. The program combines technical depth with broad accessibility through multi-language delivery and regional partnerships, creating sustainable local capacity for AI education globally. 

Organization name:
IBM Corporation

Sector and region:
Technology/education (global)

Persona focus:
User (primary)
Builder (emerging)
Enabler (educators)

4E stage:
Explore

Problem Statement

The global skills gap represents the "biggest opportunity of the decade," with technology and job requirements evolving faster than training infrastructure can follow. Traditional tech education is expensive, geographically limited, and often inaccessible, creating systemic barriers to participation in the digital economy. With employers struggling to find skilled workers while millions lack access to relevant training, a comprehensive solution is needed that can reach massive populations while maintaining quality and practical relevance.

Solution Approach

IBM SkillsBuild addresses the global skills crisis through a comprehensive free education program that has grown to serve diverse learners worldwide across multiple career stages. The program combines IBM's technical expertise with an extensive global partnership network, supporting adult learners, high school and university students and faculty, to develop valuable new skills and access career opportunities. What makes this approach unique is its integration of theoretical learning with hands-on IBM technology experience, industry-recognized digital credentials, and curated learning experiences—all delivered at no cost to learners anywhere in the world.

Organization name:
IBM Corporation 

Sector and region:
Technology/Enterprise (Global) 

Persona focus:
Builder (primary), Enabler (secondary) 

4E stage:
Experience → Embed

Problem Statement

Organizations face a critical challenge in transitioning employees from AI awareness to practical implementation capabilities. While AI literacy programs create foundational understanding, most teams lack hands-on experience with enterprise AI tools needed to solve real business problems and demonstrate measurable productivity gains. This gap limits AI adoption and prevents organizations from realizing the transformative potential of AI in their daily operations.

Solution Approach

Each year, IBM brings the entire company together for the IBMer watsonx Challenge, where employees gain hands-on experience with IBM’s AI products and apply them to their own work. The program creates authentic, competition-based learning experiences where IBM teams tackle real business challenges using watsonx tools, moving participants from passive AI awareness to active problem-solving capability and mobilizing a global workforce to adopt an AI-first mindset.

This experiential approach replaces traditional training with hands-on problem-solving, enabling participants to immediately apply AI tools to their specific work contexts. The result? Driving productivity at scale across the company while also improving IBM’s tools for clients and partners. And, it’s expanded to our ecosystem partners, who join external challenges to get hands-on with IBM AI tools to develop client-facing AI competencies.

Organization name:
Google LLC 

Sector and region:
Technology/Education (Global with enterprise focus) 

Persona focus:
User (primary), Leader (secondary) 

4E stage:
Engage → Explore → Experience

Problem Statement

Organizations across industries struggle to build foundational AI literacy among their workforce, with 87 percent of companies reporting skills mismatches while employees lack practical understanding of how AI tools can enhance their daily productivity. Traditional AI education is either too technical for general audiences or too theoretical to provide immediate workplace value, creating a critical gap between AI awareness and practical application for millions of workers.

Solution Approach

Google AI Essentials addresses the enterprise AI literacy challenge through a comprehensive yet accessible program designed for learners with no prior AI experience. The course focuses on practical productivity applications using natural language interfaces, making AI tools immediately useful for everyday work tasks, including brainstorming, email drafting, content creation, and decision making. What makes this approach unique is its combination of Google's AI expertise with enterprise-grade implementation support, creating scalable workforce transformation that delivers measurable productivity gains. 

Organization name:
Google LLC in collaboration with MIT RAISE 

Sector and region:
Education/Technology (United States with multi-state implementation)

Persona focus:
Enabler (K-12 educators), Leader (district administrators)

4E stage:
Engage → Explore → Experience

Problem Statement

Teachers across disciplines need practical AI skills to enhance their teaching effectiveness and prepare students for an AI-enhanced future, but most lack experience with AI tools and understanding of how to integrate them responsibly into educational practice. Districts need scalable professional development that enables educators to use AI for productivity gains while maintaining pedagogical quality and ethical standards. 

Solution Approach

Google's partnership with MIT RAISE delivers practical AI training specifically designed for busy educators, focusing on immediate classroom applications like lesson planning, assessment creation, and instructional differentiation. The program combines AI technical foundations with responsible use frameworks, enabling educators to save time on administrative tasks while enhancing student learning experiences. What makes this unique is the collaboration between industry AI expertise and academic educational research, creating content that is both technically sound and pedagogically relevant.

Organization name:
Intel Corporation 

Sector and region:
Education/Technology (United States with global expansion)

Persona Focus:
User (transitioning to Builder), Enabler (faculty development)

4E stage:
Engage → Explore → Experience

Problem Statement

Community college students and working professionals need practical AI skills to enter the growing AI job market, but most AI education is concentrated in expensive four-year programs or requires advanced technical prerequisites. A scalable model is needed that can serve diverse populations while providing hands-on experience with real AI tools and applications.

Solution Approach

Intel's AI for Workforce program transforms community college infrastructure into practical AI training centers through comprehensive faculty development, hands-on lab experiences, and industry-aligned curriculum. The program provides over 1000 hours of content, including practical AI applications in statistical data analysis, natural language processing, and computer vision, with no prior technical knowledge required. What makes this unique is the train-the-trainer model at unprecedented scale, enabling sustainable local delivery while maintaining connection to real industry needs. 

Organization name:
Microsoft Corporation and American Federation of Teachers 

Sector and region:
Education/Labor (United States with national union reach)

Persona Focus:
Enabler (educators), Leader (union leadership, administrators)

4E stage:
Engage → Explore → Experience

Problem Statement

Educators face increasing pressure to integrate AI into their practice while lacking input into how AI tools are developed and implemented in educational settings. Without educator voice in AI development, tools may not address real classroom needs, and implementation may increase rather than reduce educator workload and stress.

Solution Approach

Microsoft's partnership with AFT creates a collaborative model where educators directly influence AI tool development while receiving comprehensive training on AI integration. The August 2024 symposium in Chicago established ongoing collaboration between technology developers and education practitioners, emphasizing AI tools that reduce administrative burden and enhance creativity rather than replacing human connection in teaching. What makes this unique is the labor partnership approach that ensures educator agency in AI adoption and development.