In the context of the rapid development of the global technology industry, Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) has announced the launch of the "Million Minds, One Platform" initiative, aimed at providing free Snowflake AI Data Cloud training and certification to over 100,000 individuals by 2027, and plans to enhance the data and AI skills of one million people by 2029. This initiative will receive a $20 million investment from Snowflake, intended to offer comprehensive training resources and certification courses to students and professionals in high-growth and emerging markets.
According to a 2024 Gallup survey, 22% of professionals are concerned that technological advancements (such as generative AI) will make their jobs obsolete. Meanwhile, 72% of HR executives at Fortune 500 companies expect that AI will replace some jobs within their organizations in the next three years. To remain competitive in a challenging job market, employees must continuously upgrade their skills, especially in the latest technologies.
Snowflake's CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy stated, "In the digital age, every employee must possess skills that contribute in a data and AI-centric world." He emphasized that accessibility to AI and users' understanding of how it operates throughout the data lifecycle are key to success.
The two main components of the "Million Minds, One Platform" initiative include:
1. Academic Support: Snowflake will provide students with free Snowflake software and training materials, while offering educators industry-leading data courses and training. Through the "Academic Program," educators will receive certification courses and teaching materials, ranging from foundational courses to advanced self-study tutorials, to help them teach students in the classroom.
2. Training for High-Growth and Emerging Markets: Snowflake will offer specialized Snowflake platform training for students and professionals in regions such as Southeast Asia, Canada, Germany, India, South Korea, Latin America, and Saudi Arabia. This training will be conducted by certified Snowflake instructors, aimed at helping participants gain practical experience and confidently embark on their data transformation journey.
Additionally, students who successfully complete the training will be eligible for the SnowPro Platform Associate certification, validating their new skills. These skills include setting up and navigating the Snowflake user interface, creating databases, utilizing computing resources, and loading and leveraging various data formats.
The "Million Minds, One Platform" initiative is part of Snowflake's broader education and skill enhancement strategy, with Snowflake University also offering instructor-led, on-demand self-study courses that have already helped hundreds of thousands of data professionals accelerate their data projects.
