Salesforce to offer free AI training to close skills gap

Salesforce has announced plans to enhance access to AI training opportunities by offering its premium AI courses and certifications for free via its online platform, Trailhead, until the end of 2025.

This initiative is part of a broader objective to address the growing skills gap in artificial intelligence, backed by an investment of over USD $50 million.

"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 must ensure everyone is equipped with the skills they need to succeed in this new AI world."

Salesforce also intends to introduce quarterly AI learning days globally to provide its 72,000 employees with practical experience using the latest AI innovations, including Agentforce.

Nathalie Scardino, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce, emphasised the importance of training opportunities to adapt to technological changes. "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," she noted.

Salesforce's commitment to skilling its workforce has already seen the launch of over 100 AI-powered tools and technologies designed to help employees focus on meaningful work. The organisation has also noted significant participation in its AI and data training, with nearly 40% of the 2.6 million badges earned on Trailhead belonging to Salesforce employees. The company has documented substantial efficiency improvements, citing nearly 3 million work hours saved since the launch of Slack AI in February, which uses conversational interfaces to streamline tasks.

The expansion of training initiatives aims to bridge the gap revealed by recent research from Slack. According to the study, executive urgency to integrate AI tools into business operations has surged sevenfold over the past six months, surpassing concerns about inflation or the broader economy. Despite this, more than two-thirds of workers have yet to use AI technology at work, and only 15% feel they have the necessary education and training to do so effectively.

Trailhead, Salesforce's online learning platform, will play a central role in this initiative. It already offers a range of free courses covering AI topics such as AI fundamentals, ethical AI use, and prompting. Since June 2023, learners have earned over 2.6 million badges related to AI and data, a testament to the platform's widespread reach and efficacy.

To enhance this educational push, Salesforce's new physical spaces will host in-person training courses and serve as networking hubs for community members, industry experts, partners, and customers. The AI Centres will facilitate urgent upskilling opportunities and foster AI innovation at a local and global scale.

By offering these resources, Salesforce aims to enable more professionals to become proficient in AI, ultimately transforming the future of work. "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," added Scardino.