Google launches AI Works for Europe with $30M to train workers in essential AI skills

Google commits $30 million to expand AI training across Europe

Google announced AI Works for Europe at the Future of Work Forum in Riga, Latvia, marking a significant expansion of its efforts to enhance AI skills among Europeans 1

1

. The initiative includes $30 million of additional support for the European AI Opportunity Fund and introduces new resources designed to help workers build foundational AI skills 2

2

. This commitment builds on Google's track record of training over 21 million Europeans on digital or AI skills since 2015, now refocused specifically on equipping European workers with AI skills needed to thrive in an evolving economy 1

1

.

The program represents a strategic partnership between Google, the public sector, nonprofits, employers, and universities to address the growing demand for AI capabilities in the workplace 2

2

. With broad AI adoption holding potential for a €1.2 trillion boost to Europe's GDP, the initiative aims to help Europe capture this economic growth opportunity 1

1

.

Training for AI-centric careers targets entry-level job market

Google.org is supporting European nonprofits INCO and Chance to create NewFutures:AI, a program helping final-year students build practical AI skills and access career support 1

1

. Starting immediately, INCO and Chance are seeking partnerships with at least fifty higher education institutions across Europe to deliver these resources directly to students, with the program offered free to participating universities thanks to Google.org funding 1

1

.

The curriculum specifically targets students pursuing careers in ICT, administration, logistics, marketing, and finance—sectors INCO's research identified as most likely to require AI skills in the near future 1

1

. This research drew from comprehensive employment datasets provided by the OECD and the European Commission, interviewed over 1,500 European employers and young jobseekers, and used generative AI to analyze 31 million entry-level job postings across the UK and EU 1

1

. The analysis revealed that 24% of entry-level job postings now call for some level of AI-related skills 1

1

.

Google AI Professional Certificate expands to 10 European languages

The new Google AI Professional Certificate will be available in ten European languages in the coming months, helping European workers and businesses learn how to use AI tools for businesses that employers value most 1

1

2

2

. New research from IPSOS demonstrates that AI literacy—the ability to understand, evaluate, and make decisions about AI—is essential for workers adopting AI 1

1

. This hands-on training supports those in careers likely to be transformed by AI, helping them master practical applications employers are seeking today 1

1

.

Google is partnering with local nonprofits including AI Sweden and Talents for Tech to share the certificate and wraparound resources with 50,000 workers across Europe through local trade unions and community organizations 1

1

. This approach reflects Google's understanding that creating resources alone isn't sufficient—partnering with trusted community organizations drives broad and equitable access 1

1

.

AI adoption in workplaces accelerates across sectors

The initiative addresses a rapidly changing employment landscape where AI adoption in workplaces is becoming standard practice. Research by PYMNTS Intelligence found that 68% of workers who use artificial intelligence say their employer encourages its utilization, compared with 25% who describe their employer as neutral and nearly 7% who say AI use is frowned upon 2

2

. As AI usage becomes more common, companies are implementing AI governance measures, with more than 8 out of 10 workers at companies where AI is allowed reporting their workplace has at least one AI policy 2

2

.

Maria Teresa Pellegrino, a 61-year-old olive oil producer from Andria, Italy, exemplifies the workforce transition underway. After enrolling in an AI Essentials training course through Italian nonprofit Fondazione Mondo Digitale and the Google.org AI Opportunity Fund, she integrated AI tools into her century-old family business, Pellegrino 1890 srl 1

1

. She now organizes corporate events in minutes and crafts marketing materials that resonate with her company's historic values, demonstrating that AI's real benefits lie not in automating what we've always done but expanding what we can do 1

1

.