Latest news with #AIOpportunityFund
Cision Canada
2 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Google Canada announces $13 Million AI Opportunity Fund to strengthen Canada's AI workforce Français
funding will support four local organizations, offering AI skills training to more than two million Canadians TORONTO, June 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Google Canada announced an AI Opportunity Fund, which will provide $13 million to four Canadian organizations providing AI skills development and training across the country. The AI Opportunity Fund is providing support to the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, the First Nations Technology Council, Skills for Change, and the Toronto Public Library, to scale their best-in-class workforce development programs. Together, these organizations will reach more than two million Canadians with AI training, helping ensure they are equipped to succeed in an AI-powered economy. "AI is transforming the way we work and can empower people across almost every field," said Sabrina Geremia, VP & Country Managing Director for Google Canada. "Canada is uniquely positioned to capture the immense AI opportunity, by putting this technology to work. The AI Opportunity Fund will help upskill Canadians nationwide, strengthen our workforce, and prepare Canadians for an AI-powered economy." The AI Opportunity Fund will support the following initiatives: Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute will provide post-secondary students across Canada with foundational AI skills to better adapt to emerging technologies and address the growing AI skills gap in Canada's workforce. First Nations Technology Council will train Indigenous students and provide AI resources to Indigenous community members, with the goal of increasing the number of Indigenous workers in technology. Skills for Change will develop AI skills programs to train individuals from communities facing high unemployment. This initiative will equip participants with foundational AI literacy through hands-on, industry-relevant curriculum, creating pathways to meaningful employment. Toronto Public Library will address the digital divide by launching a city-wide AI upskilling initiative to provide community members with access to free tools, AI skills training and programming to support employment, boost productivity and encourage safe, informed use of AI. Canada is well positioned to succeed in an AI-powered future, with a rich history of groundbreaking AI research and a dynamic startup ecosystem. According to Public First's Economic Impact Report on Google Canada, generative AI could boost Canada's economy by $230 billion, and could save the average Canadian worker over 175 hours a year. This will bring immense opportunities – but it's not guaranteed. The first step is building Canadians' AI skills, knowledge and confidence. Canadians are up to the challenge – the same report found 63 per cent of Canadian workers are interested in acquiring AI skills, with interest rising to 72 per cent among young Canadians. This funding builds on Google's existing digital and AI skilling initiatives in Canada such as Google Career Certificates and other Grow with Google programs. Quotes: "In today's digital economy, it's encouraging to see global leaders like supporting Ontario's workforce. Their support for the AI Opportunity Fund will equip workers with the skills needed to seize the jobs of tomorrow—and ensures Ontario remains competitive in a fast-changing world." - The Honorouble David Piccini, Ontario Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development "Canada has an incredible opportunity to translate decades of AI research excellence into fundamental AI literacy skills for a generation of post-secondary students because of the generous support of Amii is proud to lead the effort to build a national AI Workforce Readiness Consortium to empower Canadian students with the fundamental literacy skills they need to succeed in an AI-driven economy. From colleges and polytechnics to U15 Canadian research universities and Indigenous PSE institutes, we're ready to support educators with equitable access to curriculum resources across faculties, programs and domains." - Cam Linke, CEO, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute " commitment to supporting AI training programs for Indigenous Peoples represents a meaningful step toward reconciliation by supporting the adoption and innovation of emerging technologies. This initiative enables collaboration with all 204 First Nations in British Columbia, empowering communities to leverage AI for nation-building while driving economic growth and fostering technology-enabled efficiencies that benefit Indigenous Peoples and Canada as a whole." - Natiea Vinson, CEO, First Nations Technology Council "Our new AI skilling project, made possible through generous support, represents a transformative opportunity to bridge the digital divide and create equitable access to the future of work. We are proud to receive support for this ground-breaking initiative and look forward to shaping a more inclusive and prosperous future together." - Surranna Sandy, CEO, Skills for Change "As AI rapidly transforms our world, it's crucial that members of society understand and have the skills and abilities to shape and leverage these changes. Through generous funding, we will launch an AI Upskilling Initiative, focused on the responsible and ethical use of AI and bring tools, resources and learning opportunities to TPL customers." - Vickery Bowles, City Librarian, Toronto Public Library About Google Canada Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google Canada has offices in Waterloo, Toronto, Montreal,Ottawa and remotely across the country with employees working on teams across Engineering, AI Research, Sales and Marketing.
The Sun
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
GDA, Google.org on mission to empower Asean MSMEs to thrive in AI-driven era
PETALING JAYA: The Asia Foundation's Go Digital Asean (GDA) and are expanding their focus to include preparing micro, small and medium enterprises for the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence-driven economy. Backed by a US$27 million (RM116 million) commitment from the initiative focuses on closing the digital gap for underserved communities – particularly women, youth, rural entrepreneurs and owners of small business. Since its inception in 2020, GDA has delivered digital upskilling programmes to more than 200,000 individuals across all 10 Asean member states. In 2025, with the global economy shifting towards automation and artificial intelligence, GDA is evolving its mission to equip Southeast Asia's MSMEs with the knowledge and tools to adapt, innovate and thrive in the AI era. GDA regional programme manager Hannah Najar said AI has the potential to unlock efficiencies, boost productivity, and create market opportunities for MSMEs. 'However, without inclusive access to AI awareness and training, small businesses risk being left behind. That is what we are trying to change,' she told SunBiz. Hannah said the expanded focus is supported by AI Opportunity Fund, which marks a long-term investment into developing AI literacy across the region. 'For us, this means integrating practical knowledge of AI tools and responsible usage into its skilling curriculum, ensuring that MSMEs not only adopt digital technologies, but also understand how emerging tools like generative AI can be applied ethically and effectively to their business operations,' she added. The digital skilling gap remains a challenge across Southeast Asia, especially for small businesses operating in rural or low-connectivity areas, Hannah noted. 'GDA addresses this by leveraging an extensive network of local implementing partners, ranging from civil society groups to government-linked agencies, to contextualise training and extend its reach to hard-to-access communities,' she said. Asia-Pacific lead Marija Ralic said Google recognises that digital transformation is not a one-size-fits-all process. 'Each community has different needs. That is why we work closely with regional partners who understand local barriers and can deliver skills training in culturally and economically relevant ways.' Ralic said the results speak for themselves, as more than 90% of GDA beneficiaries reported a positive business impact from the programme. 'Participants saw improvements in customer engagement, sales growth and overall business performance. In Malaysia, one small enterprise reported a 40% revenue increase after adopting digital strategies learned through GDA training. 'In Indonesia, a rural woman entrepreneur leveraged e-commerce tools to expand her business beyond her local village. And in Thailand, a mushroom farmer-turned-online seller demonstrated how digital tools can open up entirely new income streams,' she added. With MSMEs facing increasing pressure to digitalise and compete in a global market, they both noted that the partnership aims to build a strong foundation, not just for short-term gains, but for sustainable, future-facing transformation. Looking ahead, Hannah noted that the initiative plans to scale its reach by expanding digital literacy programmes into AI-specific training, enhancing cybersecurity awareness, and promoting responsible digital entrepreneurship. 'This vision aligns with Asean's broader digital integration goals and reflects the growing recognition that AI will be a core component of business competitiveness in the coming decade. 'The digital economy is evolving, and we want to ensure that MSMEs evolve with it. This means going beyond access to technology, we are building digital confidence, skills, and awareness that can help small businesses take charge of their futures,' she said.
