Giving someone access to an AI course does not tell them how to use it in their job. They may need time to practice, someone to answer questions, and a task where they can see whether the tool actually helps.
That is why the community partnerships in Verizon’s AI Skills for America initiative caught my attention. The company says its $70 million commitment combines $50 million in new funding with an existing $20 million reskilling fund. Training from organizations including IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Coursera, and OpenAI will be available without charge to job seekers, workers, educators, and small businesses.
Verizon is also working with Goodwill Industries International, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. Those relationships could help people use the training who would otherwise struggle to turn an online course into a practical skill.
Consider two workers with access to the same AI model. One has a manager who sets aside time to learn and colleagues who share useful workflows. The other receives a login and a warning not to make mistakes. Their access may be identical, but their chances of using the tool well are very different.
A small-business owner faces a similar problem. Watching a demonstration of AI-generated marketing is easy. Working out which customer information is safe to use, checking the output, and fitting the process into a busy week takes more support. Someone who knows the business can help make those decisions concrete.
Community colleges, workforce organizations, and local nonprofits already help people work through unfamiliar systems. They know employers in their area and understand constraints that a national course provider may never see. A trusted instructor can help a displaced worker recognize where prior experience is still valuable and where a new skill would improve their prospects.
I see substantial opportunity here. AI can put research, analysis, and writing capabilities within reach of people who could not previously afford specialized help. But the organizations closest to those people need enough staff time and resources to teach its use. Adding another responsibility to an overstretched local partner will not produce the same result as funding the work.
The evaluation should follow people beyond course completion. Can a participant perform a useful task and check the result? Does the training help a worker qualify for a role or help a business serve its customers? Can someone continue learning once the formal program ends?
Verizon says it will gather participant feedback and refine the initiative. That gives it a way to learn where the training works and where participants need something different. Employment and business outcomes will take longer to assess than enrollment numbers, but they are closer to the reason for making this investment.
The local partnerships make this initiative worth following. If they receive the support to do the work well, they could help people move from knowing that AI exists to using it confidently in work that matters to them.