Verizon Commits $70M to Free AI Training

Verizon unveiled AI Skills for America, a $70 million free AI training drive, on September 23, 2026 at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. It combines $50 million in new funds with a $20 million reskilling pot tied to earlier plans for 13,000 job cuts. A portal will carry courses from IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera and OpenAI; Goodwill and other nonprofits will coach locally. The same day Verizon gave the center a $1 million grant and remains a founding sponsor of its SciTech Scity campus. CEO Dan Schulman said AI will change the face of the workforce and urged other Fortune 100 firms to match the outlay for a multibillion-dollar pool. Goodwill CEO Steven Preston said employer AI requirements have risen exponentially. Verizon's Donna Epps called an AI-ready U.S. workforce a massive challenge. WorkWhile CEO Simon Khalaf said demand for workers on his platform rose 22% from July to August and another 14% by late September, rejecting claims of AI job losses. No contested claims found in the source record. Registration is at verizon.com/aiskillsforamerica. Verizon said this kind of premium training can cost more than $700 per person per year.