- Microsoft will donate $4 billion in cash over five years to upskill today's youth
- AI and cloud skills are lacking, and much of the global workforce needs to adapt
- Teachers are also getting support to help them integrate AI into the classroom
Microsoft has announced a pledge to donate $4 billion in cash over the course of five years to help K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofits expand the use of, and training initiative to support, AI and cloud technology.
In a blog post, Microsoft outlined how it wants to support 20 million people by upskilling them with AI tools to support future working environments, starting at a young age.
"This represents our next chapter for corporate philanthropy and our non-commercial business model," President Brad Smith explained in the post.
Microsoft grant scheme to support future workers
As part of the scheme, Microsoft will be collaborating with governments to help launch its Elevate Academy to provide AI training right from foundation levels to more advanced skillsets.
The company will also work with OpenAI, Anthropic and the American Federation of Teachers to create the National Academy for AI Instruction, investing $23 million over five years to train 400,000 teachers in AI skills to help them integrate the tech into classrooms.
"We believe some of the most important work ahead isn’t just building smarter machines – it’s ensuring those machines help people thrive," Smith added.
The company cited WEF research stating that two-fifths (59%) of the global workforce will need new digital skills by the end of the decade. A separate study highlighted by Microsoft also revealed that three-quarters of the global youth lack the right skills for the AI economy.
Despite laying off thousands of workers in the post-pandemic years, driven largely by AI-induced productivity gains, Microsoft's President stressed the importance of human workers in the future.
"This is the work ahead – not just building the next generation of AI but building the next generation of opportunity," Smith concluded.
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