Google and UN ITU offer 100,000 AI training scholarships across 80+ countries

The partnership will use Google’s AI Professional Certificate to build practical skills for students, educators, workers and other groups, with local leaders able to tailor training to workforce priorities

Google and the International Telecommunication Union are offering 100,000 AI training scholarships across more than 80 countries

Google and the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union are offering 100,000 AI training scholarships across more than 80 countries as part of a new international skills partnership.

The scholarships will provide access to the Google AI Professional Certificate through the ITU’s AI Skills Coalition, with training delivered through local governments and the Giga network.

The program is aimed at students, educators, job seekers, entrepreneurs, small business owners, civil servants and other workers. National ministries and local leaders will be able to adapt delivery around their own workforce priorities.

Google says the training requires no previous technology background and is designed around practical AI skills rather than technical specialization.

Lisa Gevelber, Founder of Grow with Google, said on LinkedIn that many people are interested in AI but do not know where to begin, adding that “having guidance actually makes people four times more likely to feel confident with these tools.”

The figure comes from global research by Google and Ipsos, which found that hands-on training can make people up to four times more likely to become confident using AI.

Grow with Google is leading Google’s contribution to the initiative, with the program centered on practical skills, recognized credentials and routes into using AI in everyday work. Gevelber said access to technology alone is not enough if people lack the skills and confidence to use it.

Training designed around local workforce needs

The program is being delivered through the AI Skills Coalition, a partner-led initiative under the ITU’s AI for Good program that brings together governments, industry, academia, UN organizations and civil society.

The International Telecommunication Union is the UN agency for digital technologies. It has 194 Member States and a membership of more than 1,000 companies, universities, civil society groups and international and regional organizations.

Established in 1865, the ITU coordinates the global use of radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops international technology standards and works on universal connectivity and digital services. Its remit now spans areas including AI, quantum technologies, satellites, submarine cables and advanced mobile and wireless broadband networks.

The 100,000 Google scholarships will sit alongside more than 200 courses already available through the AI Skills Coalition’s training catalog.

Participating countries will be able to shape programs around local priorities. Examples given by Google include supporting teachers with lesson planning, helping public servants improve services, assisting small businesses with growth and giving job seekers practical AI skills.

Gevelber said on LinkedIn that the partnership is intended to give communities flexibility rather than impose a single model.

“Local leaders can tailor this training to their workforce priorities; for example helping teachers plan lessons faster, civil servants streamline services, small business owners grow their businesses, and job-seekers find their path,” she wrote.

The partnership also supports the ITU-UNICEF Giga initiative, which works with governments to connect schools to the internet and expand access to digital resources.

Measuring whether training leads to practical use

Google and the ITU plan to track more than the number of scholarships distributed.

Measures will include scholarship activation and use, participation, completion rates, certificates earned and the reach of priority groups including young people, educators, public servants and job seekers.

The organizations also plan to work with participating countries to understand how learners apply their new skills in education, employment and public services.

The initiative comes against a wider digital skills gap identified by the ITU. The UN agency estimates that 1.2 billion people still require training to gain basic digital skills, while a further 311 million need training to reach above-basic levels.

Google says the new scholarship program is intended to combine connectivity with practical AI capability, giving learners a structured route into using AI rather than access to technology alone.