From Google 'AI Works for Italy', 2 million dollars to train at least 13,000 Italian university students

Google today presents 'AI Works for Italy', a long-term initiative that brings together the company's commitment to the dissemination of digital skills in Italia. In this context, Google announces a $2 million investment to train 13,000 university students about to enter the world of work, and new courses dedicated to workers who wish to integrate AI into their daily work. "To transform Italia's immense potential into concrete growth, we must focus on its most important resource: people. With 'AI Works for Italy' we want to ensure that the workers of today and those of tomorrow have access to the training and tools needed to make AI an engine of opportunity for the whole country," - said Melissa Ferretti Peretti, VP and Country Manager Google Italy

Over the past year, Google.org has collaborated with the non-profit organisation INCO to map the entry-level positions that require AI skills today. This research has led to the creation of the NewFutures:AI programme, created by INCO in partnership with the non-profit organisation Chance, which offers final-year university students training resources to develop practical skills and access to career guidance and support networks in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
In Italia, Google.org, through INCO and Chance, is making $2 million available to universities with the aim of training at least 13,000 students. Thanks to this support, the NewFutures:AI programme will be made available at no cost to participating universities. The universities of Roma Tre, Salerno and Sassari are the first to launch the programme. Interested universities can learn more about the details of the programme and check the eligibility requirements at this link.

The new AI study programmes will specifically target students in sectors where the demand for AI skills will grow most rapidly: ICT, administration, logistics, marketing and finance. INCO identified these areas by cross-referencing OECD and European Commission employment data with interviews with over 1,500 employers and young job seekers. The analysis - conducted through AI - of 31 million entry-level job advertisements in EU Member States and the UK revealed that 24% already require AI-related skills. This trend is also confirmed in Italia, where 21% of the almost 1.4 million job ads examined mention AI skills, with a peak in the Production Processes and Logistics sectors, followed by Management Control and Accounting.

Google also announces the new Google AI Professional intensive course, designed to encourage Italian workers to use artificial intelligence tools effectively and with impact. Through practical exercises based on real-life work scenarios, the course allows participants to deepen their understanding of the potential of AI in their daily work. As a further incentive for professional growth, all course participants will have the opportunity to redeem (until 31 December 2026) 90 days of free access to Google AI Pro, which unlocks the advanced features of tools including Gemini. The course will be accessible at no additional cost to those who - through their university, company or association - have received a licence through the programme offered by Google to access their AI training courses hosted on the global learning platform Coursera.

Recent research conducted by IPSOS highlights how AI literacy - i.e. the ability to understand and evaluate its dynamics in order to make informed decisions - is an essential skill. This practical training is aimed precisely at those in roles destined to be transformed by AI, offering the necessary tools to master its applications.