Google Canada marks 25 years with 100,000 AI scholarships and SME adoption funding

Google Canada used its 25th anniversary in the country to announce a large expansion of AI skills and small-business support, pairing up to 100,000 free training scholarships with more than $2.7-million in funding for chamber-led adoption programs.

Through a new Grow with Google partnership with YMCA Canada — described by the company as its largest Canadian partnership to date and a tenfold expansion of prior no-cost AI training — scholarships will cover Google AI Essentials and Google AI Professional Certificate courses aimed at workers building job-ready skills. Separately, Google.org is giving more than $2.7-million CAD to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to deliver a national AI adoption program for more than 10,000 small and medium-sized businesses via more than 400 local chambers and boards of trade.

iPolitics reported the push against Ottawa’s “AI for All” goal of putting 60 per cent of Canadian businesses on AI tools by 2034. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said the partnerships would help share AI’s benefits. Google’s ATLAS analysis, cited in coverage, ranks Canada in the top 20 per cent globally for conversational AI use per capita, though almost 90 per cent of current use is personal rather than workplace. CFIB research cited by iPolitics found about 21 per cent of small firms already using AI to some extent, with time, skills and cost still the main barriers.

A Public First report commissioned by Google estimates generative AI could add about $230-billion to the Canadian economy if gains materialize. Enrollment details are expected through local YMCAs and chambers.

Sources: iPolitics; iPhone in Canada.