Verizon is putting $70 million behind a nationwide effort to help Americans build AI skills, offering free training to job seekers, small-business owners, educators and workers whose jobs are being affected by automation. The initiative, called “Verizon AI Skills for America,” combines $50 million in new funding with $20 million Verizon had previously committed to AI reskilling.
While the earlier Reskilling and Career Transition Fund was focused on the company’s workforce, the new funding expands access to students, early-career professionals and business owners outside the company. The telecom company reported $138.2 billion in revenue in 2025, and noted that the initiative was an extension of its efforts to narrow the gap in the digital space. The program brings training from IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera and OpenAI together into a single portal, and learners will be able to access the courses for free.
Verizon to cover premium training at $700 per person
Verizon estimates that premium training comparable to the courses offered through this program can cost over $700 per person each year. “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,” Donna Epps, Verizon’s chief responsible business officer, said in the company’s statement. The telecom company is also leaning on community organizations to make the training more practical.
These organizations include The Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship and Goodwill Industries International, and they will support participants with physical coaching and guidance. The upskilling program also comes after a stretch of layoffs from Verizon. Reuters reported that the company’s original $20 million commitment followed its plan to eliminate 13,000 positions. CEO Dan Schulman has called on other large companies to also contribute to the initiative.
He said $50 million to $70 million from each Fortune 100 company could create a multibillion-dollar fund to help workers build skills for AI-related jobs. Schulman stated in the release that AI will fundamentally reshape workforces around the world, adding that companies need to invest in their people with the same urgency they bring to new technology.
Steven C. Preston, CEO of Goodwill Industries International, also said that the community-based approach is important because workforce changes play out locally, claiming real transformations in the workforce occur within the community. Verizon added that the program will be launching nationwide, although the full range of coaching and other types of support will initially only be available in selected regional markets.
