Facing the wave of AI technology sweeping the world, it is urgent to improve talent skills. Snowflake has keenly captured this trend and launched its ambitious "Millions of Ideas and One Platform" initiative, aiming to provide free Snowflake AI data to more than one million people over the next five years through a $20 million investment. Cloud training and certification. This move will not only help alleviate employment anxiety caused by technological progress, but also effectively enhance the global data and AI talent pool, injecting strong impetus into economic development in the digital era. The plan will focus on students and professionals, especially in high-growth and emerging markets, and provide comprehensive training resources and certification courses to help them master key skills and adapt to future workplace needs.
Against the background of the rapid development of the global technology industry, Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) announced the launch of the "Millions of Ideas and One Platform" program, with the goal of providing free Snowflake AI data cloud training and certification to more than 100,000 people by 2027. It plans to help one million people improve their data and AI skills by 2029. The program, which will receive a $20 million investment from Snowflake, aims to provide comprehensive training resources and certification courses for students and professionals in high-growth and emerging markets.
According to a 2024 Gallup survey, 22% of professionals are worried that technological advances (such as generative AI) will make their jobs obsolete. Meanwhile, 72% of HR leaders at Fortune 500 companies expect AI to replace a portion of their company’s jobs within the next three years. To survive in a competitive job market, employees must constantly upgrade their skills, especially in the latest technologies.
“In the digital age, every employee must have the skills to contribute in a data- and AI-centric world,” said Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO of Snowflake. He emphasized the accessibility of AI and user awareness of its role in data life. An understanding of how the cycle works is key to success.
The two main components of the “Millions of Ideas and One Platform” initiative include:
1. Academic support: Snowflake will provide students with free Snowflake software and training materials, while providing educators with industry-leading data courses and training. Through the Academic Program, educators will receive certified courses and instructional materials, from basic courses to advanced self-study tutorials, to help them teach students in the classroom.
2. High-growth and emerging market training: Snowflake will provide specialized Snowflake platform training for students and professionals in Southeast Asia, Canada, Germany, India, South Korea, Latin America and Saudi Arabia. Taught by certified Snowflake instructors, this training is designed to help participants gain hands-on experience and begin their data transformation journey with confidence.
In addition, students who successfully complete the training will earn the SnowPro Platform Associate certification, validating their new skills. These skills include setting up and navigating the Snowflake user interface, creating databases, using computing resources, loading and leveraging multiple data formats, and more.
The "Millions of Ideas and One Platform" program is part of Snowflake's larger education and upskilling strategy. Snowflake University also offers instructor-led, on-demand self-study courses that have helped hundreds of thousands of data professionals accelerate their data projects.
Snowflake's "Millions of Ideas and One Platform" plan, with its grand scale and long-term strategic vision, has set a benchmark for global data and AI talent training and injected new vitality into the development of the future digital economy. The successful implementation of this plan will have a profound impact on the cultivation of global scientific and technological talents and industrial upgrading.