Verizon has announced a $70 million investment in a new initiative called Verizon AI Skills for America, aimed at equipping job seekers, early career professionals, displaced workers, educators, and small businesses with artificial intelligence skills. The program combines $20 million from Verizon’s existing Reskilling and Career Transition Fund for departing workers with $50 million in new funding, offering free access to premium AI training. The announcement was made on September 23, 2026, and reported by NOTICIAS NEWSWIRE.
The initiative addresses a growing skills gap as AI transforms industries. “Strengthening the American economy starts with making sure every individual has the opportunity to adapt and succeed in a rapidly changing world,” said Verizon CEO Dan Schulman. “Companies, working closely together and with the public sector, have a responsibility to invest in people with the same urgency they invest in technology.”
Verizon is curating a one-stop portal that consolidates training content from leading AI experts, including IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera, and OpenAI, at no cost to participants. Such training typically costs over $700 per person annually. “Creating meaningful economic opportunity in the AI era is not something any one company can achieve alone,” said Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer of Verizon. “We are deeply grateful to our tech partners for collaborating with us to bring world-class AI training to local communities entirely free of charge.”
Beyond online content, the program partners with mission-based organizations like Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), and Goodwill Industries International to provide hands-on coaching and local support. “Real workforce transformation happens at the community level,” said Steven C. Preston, CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “Partnering with Verizon allows us to help people build practical AI skills through their local Goodwill.”
The initiative will launch nationwide with core services in select regional markets, and Verizon will gather feedback to continuously improve the program. To learn more or register, visit verizon.com/aiskillsforamerica. The original press release can be read here.
This investment matters because it tackles the urgent need for AI literacy across the U.S. workforce. By removing cost barriers and leveraging trusted community organizations, Verizon aims to help workers retain jobs, navigate career transitions, and support small business growth. The program also reflects a broader trend of public-private collaboration to build an inclusive AI-ready economy, potentially setting a model for other corporations to follow.
