Snowflake launches "Millions of Ideas and One Platform" plan, investing US$20 million to help improve AI skills

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 highly competitive job market, employees must continuously 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.