AI is creating exciting new opportunities for people everywhere. Yet, as the World Economic Forum reports, only half of workers have access to adequate training opportunities.

Last year, Giulianna, a working mother in Connecticut, saw that AI was a big deal but found it difficult to find time to learn about AI while juggling work, family, and other commitments. "AI is everywhere," Giulianna remembers thinking. "It's no longer the future; it's the present." She decided to embrace this technological shift by taking Google AI Essentials. As she says: “It made me feel like AI is something I can do.”

Today, Giulianna regularly uses AI as part of her daily routine at home, and she also sees its potential for tasks like organizing projects and generating tables in an instant, making work more efficient.

Giulianna’s not alone in the effort to embrace the productivity benefits of AI while navigating a busy life. That’s why we designed Google AI Essentials — to help close the knowledge gap and empower everyone with the know-how to thrive in this new digital landscape. In order to help as many people as possible, we’re also equipping learning institutions with our foundational AI curriculum.

Introducing Connecticut Online AI Academy

We’re proud to collaborate with Charter Oak State College on their new Connecticut Online AI Academy. The academy will use Google AI Essentials as the foundation of the curriculum, and prepare Connecticuters with critical AI training at no cost to them.

Like all Google Career Certificates, Google AI Essentials is taught by experts at Google. No previous AI experience or technical expertise is necessary to take this online course — anyone can jump right in. It’s fast and flexible, and provides both a comprehensive overview of AI and practical experience through hands-on activities that are based on real-world scenarios.

After completing the course, learners will receive a certificate from Google that they can add to their resume and professional profile. Connecticut Online AI Academy will also soon offer free access to Google Prompting Essentials. This course teaches people how to create effective prompts to get the most out of generative AI tools in just five easy steps.

For busy people like Giulianna, Google AI Essentials is ideal. Once she began the course, she quickly gained confidence in her applied gen AI skills. “I’m so excited about AI now that I understand it better,” she says.

You can learn more about Google AI Essentials, Google Prompting Essentials, and other AI upskilling programs at grow.google/AI.