Cisco's announced another big skills training drive, pledging to upskill a million more people in AI and digital technologies over the next four years.
The US initiative follows a White House AI meeting with government and industry leaders, as part of the Pledge to America's Youth: Investing in AI Education, a national effort to expand AI learning and readiness.
"This effort underscores a collective priority to prepare people of all ages for the AI era. We are proud to stand alongside government and industry leaders in this pledge," said Fran Katsoudas, Cisco's EVP and chief people, policy, and purpose officer.
"Through 'Learn with Cisco', we aim to train one million more people across the US in AI and digital skills over the next four years. This reflects our core belief: every person deserves the opportunity to step confidently into the economy of the future."
The company's observed that educators aren't always fully equipped to teach AI, and said it's working to bridge that gap with curricula, training, and tools for teachers and businesses.
Cisco has been running its Networking Academy for nearly 30 years, and said that over that time, more than 2.9 million people have taken part. More than nine-in-ten of those who complete the course go on to jobs or further education, it said.
"The fact is undeniable: to stay ahead, the ability to learn is an important skill and a competitive edge for individuals, companies, and countries," said Katsoudas.
"Embedding continuous learning into everything builds a workforce ready to adapt, innovate, and lead for lasting impact."
The US training initiative follows a similar scheme for the EU, launched earlier this year. The initiative involves offering free training to 1.5 million people in essential skills such as digital awareness, cybersecurity, data science, IoT, and AI. Again, there's training for teachers too.
Tech giants promise $330 million for AI training
Cisco wasn't the only tech giant to make promises at the White House meeting, with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft between them, promising $330 million for AI training.
Google pledged to allocate $150 million from a previously $1 billion commitment to grants supporting AI education and digital wellbeing.
Amazon, meanwhile, said it would support AI skills training for four million learners and provide curricula for 10,000 educators by 2028.
And Microsoft said it would offer Copilot free in Microsoft 365 for college students, along with $1.25 million in grants for educators and free LinkedIn Learning AI courses for students, teachers and job-seekers.
"As we think about this national priority, we think it comes down to three things. First, empowering teachers and students with the latest AI tools," said vice chair and president Brad Smith.
"Second, building AI skills. With AI moving faster than any technology in history, the only way to keep up is learning by doing and getting recognized for it. Third, creating economic opportunity by connecting these new skills to jobs."
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