Kyndryl and Skillsoft offer free AI skills training to U.S. students and teachers

The initiative gives eligible districts access to AI training, hands-on learning and digital credential opportunities through May 2027

Kyndryl and Skillsoft are launching a free AI education program for eligible U.S. high school students and educators

Kyndryl and Skillsoft are launching a free AI education program for eligible U.S. high school students and educators, aiming to help more young people build practical skills for an AI-driven workplace.

The program, announced by the two companies on September 29, gives grades 9 to 12 students and teachers access to AI-focused learning content through the Skillsoft Percipio platform. It supports Kyndryl’s commitment to the White House AI education initiative and is available to eligible U.S. school districts through May 29, 2027.

Under the current agreement, access is limited to up to 25,000 aggregated student and educator users.

The curriculum is designed to cover AI fundamentals, prompt engineering and the use of AI tools in everyday tasks, while also giving learners the chance to earn digital credentials.

Focus on practical AI skills

The companies say the goal is to help students and educators build confidence with AI as its influence grows across education and work.

Raianne Reiss, chief marketing officer at Skillsoft, says the collaboration is intended to make practical AI learning more widely accessible:

“Through our work with Kyndryl, we’re helping expand access to AI education and making it easier for more people to develop practical skills they can apply in school, at work, and throughout their careers.

This is a step toward broadening access to the knowledge and skills people need to succeed as AI adoption continues to grow.”

Faith Taylor, senior vice president of global citizenship and sustainability at Kyndryl, says AI is becoming a core skill for a much broader group of learners.

“AI is quickly becoming a fundamental skill, not just for future technologists, but for every student preparing to participate in a changing workforce,” she comments. “By working with Skillsoft to expand access to practical AI learning pathways, Kyndryl is helping students build confidence, curiosity and responsible digital skills that can open new pathways to opportunity.”

Tied to workforce readiness

The launch sits within Kyndryl’s wider work on technology education and workforce readiness, while also aligning with Skillsoft’s focus on skills development.

Matthew Glitzer, Chief Revenue Officer at Skillsoft, also linked the program directly to the workforce skills gap in a LinkedIn post.

“Meeting students and educators where they are — early — is how we change the trajectory,” he wrote.

He added that the AI skills gap “starts long before someones first job,” arguing that earlier exposure to AI education can help prepare students before they enter the workforce.

For school districts, the offer is positioned as a way to give students earlier exposure to AI tools and concepts that are likely to shape future study and employment.

Districts that qualify will be able to access the program through Skillsoft’s Percipio