Adobe Introduces New Global Initiative Aimed at Helping 30 Million Next-Generation Learners Develop AI Literacy, Content Creation and Digital Marketing Skills by 2030

On October 14, 2024, at Adobe MAX 2024—the world’s largest creativity conference—Adobe announced a new global initiative aimed at enhancing AI literacy, content creation, and digital marketing skills among next-generation learners and educators. Building on a decade of success with the Adobe Digital Academy, this program seeks to equip 30 million learners worldwide with in-demand skills by 2030 through training, certifications, and access to Adobe Express.

The training and certifications will be offered through collaborations with Coursera, NGOs, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and alternative education organizations. Adobe will also provide scholarships and grants to NGOs to ensure that emerging professionals from diverse backgrounds can access these valuable training resources, tools, and direct career pathways.

As the creator economy and innovative AI technologies continue to expand, new opportunities are emerging in content creation and marketing across various industries. Aspiring professionals are keen to establish their presence in this rapidly changing landscape, and specialized training and certifications will demonstrate their expertise to potential employers.

“Adobe’s mission has always been to design products that create opportunities and empower people from all backgrounds to change the world,” Stacy Martinet, vice president, marketing strategy and communications at Adobe. “We want AI to bridge the digital divide not widen it, and this program will open doors for emerging professionals to succeed in the future workforce with AI literacy, content creation and marketing skills.”

This program builds on Adobe’s commitment to empowering learners from all backgrounds to succeed in today’s job market and to foster creativity for everyone. This year, Adobe has pledged over $100 million in donations, scholarships, product access, and partnerships across various initiatives to help people and organizations worldwide share their stories.

Adobe has developed a diverse curriculum for this program, covering topics such as Generative AI Content Creation, Creative and AI Skills—emphasizing responsible and ethical AI use—Social Media Content, Multimedia Content, Content Marketing, and Multi-channel Content and Advertising. Learners will acquire the skills to easily create high-quality content using tools like Adobe Express and will learn to leverage generative AI to enhance their creative and visual expression.

The first courses are now available globally on Coursera, a top online learning platform, allowing anyone to learn and develop creative and digital skills at their own pace. Aspiring learners can earn Professional Certificates in Content Creation and Graphic Design, with additional certificates in Digital Marketing set to launch in early 2025. Adobe is also committing $250,000 in scholarship licenses to be distributed through nonprofits in the program's first year to facilitate access to Adobe courses and certificates on Coursera.

Coursework will soon be available on Adobe Express and is currently being developed for the Behance community.

Additionally, Adobe is providing new funding to expand its network of alternative education and youth-serving NGO collaborators, including DECA, NPower, Build.org, the Prince’s Trust, AVID, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, and Pratham. These investments aim to expose millions of students served by NGOs to essential workplace skills and to integrate skilling opportunities into their extracurricular programs.

"Adobe is the ideal partner for DECA as we amplify our quest to prepare students for college and careers,” said Christopher Young, CAE, chief program officer, DECA Inc. “This initiative will empower our student members to learn and apply the creative skills they need for their future careers in marketing and business. Adobe Express is the perfect tool for DECA students to apply their creativity and experiment with AI to create content relevant to preparing for their careers."

Adobe is also committed to creating direct pathways for future careers. The company will enhance its partnership with General Assembly, a prominent provider of tech talent and training, by adding boot camps focused on marketing and content creation to their offerings. Participants in these boot camps will receive complimentary access to live and on-demand training, along with General Assembly’s resources for career coaching, personal branding, and portfolio development, all aimed at shortening the job search process for graduates.

The first U.S. cohort is set to begin in November and is currently accepting applications. Additional cohorts in the U.S., U.K., and India are scheduled to open for applications in January 2025. These boot camps are fully sponsored by Adobe and are free for participants.