Google and the State of Oklahoma to Provide AI Training to Workers

Through a collaboration with Google, the State of Oklahoma will offer residents access to Google AI Essentials course at no cost.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today the State of Oklahoma announced a new workforce development initiative to help Oklahoma’s workers learn artificial intelligence skills. Through a partnership with Google, the State of Oklahoma will help over 10,000 Oklahoma residents access Google’s new AI Essentials course at no cost. The online course is product agnostic, does not require a degree or experience, and will teach workers foundational AI skills, AI best practices and how to use AI responsibly. The program will benefit residents across Oklahoma and can be accessed at oklahoma.gov/learnAI. 

“Our state is positioned to be a leader in implementing AI technology, and this partnership with Google furthers that momentum by educating thousands of Oklahomans in foundational skills for tomorrow’s economy,” Oklahoma Gov. J. Kevin Stitt said. “For years, Google has partnered with organizations throughout Oklahoma to help residents expand their career opportunities through digital skills training. As more companies move to Oklahoma, we’ll be ready to meet them with a skilled workforce.”

Research from the Oklahoma State Chamber Research Foundation suggests that early adoption of AI will empower key Oklahoma industries like energy, agriculture, aviation and manufacturing, helping them optimize operations and boost economic output. According to the World Economic Forum, despite the rising demand for AI abilities, only half of workers have access to adequate training opportunities today. Google’s new AI Essentials course will teach people to use generative AI effectively in day-to-day work. In under 10 hours, people will get practical, hands-on experience using AI to help with work tasks through videos, readings and interactive exercises. The skills learned can be applied to a variety of roles across industries. After completing the course, people will earn a certificate from Google to share with their professional network.

“Google has proudly called Oklahoma home for more than a decade with a data center in Mayes County,” said Mark Isakowitz, Google VP of Government Affairs and Public Policy, U.S. and Canada. “We commend Governor Stitt and Oklahoma’s leadership for their commitment to helping students and workers access AI training for today and tomorrow’s jobs. To advance these efforts and our collaboration, we are thrilled to offer the new Google AI Essentials course to residents at no cost.”

“Generations of Oklahomans have the opportunity to benefit from this program as technology continues to evolve within the workplace,” said John Suter, Oklahoma chief operating officer and OMES executive director. “We want to give Oklahoma professionals a competitive edge and harness the responsible application of AI tools as we work to recruit more companies to our great state.”

Today’s announcement builds on Google’s work to help Oklahomans access digital skill training, including a partnership with the state on the Google Career Certificates program. Since 2022, 85% of Google Career Certificate graduates in Oklahoma report that they've secured gainful employment through the initiative. The company also recently announced a Generative AI for Educators, a course designed to help middle and high school teachers use generative AI tools to personalize instruction to meet student needs, develop creative lessons and activities, and save time on administrative tasks. School districts across the country will offer the Generative AI for Educators course, including Oklahoma’s Ada Public Schools, Enid Public Schools and Shawnee Public Schools. Since 2017, Google’s skilling programs have trained over 147,000 Oklahomans in digital skills, through a network of more than 100 local partner organizations.

The Office of Management and Enterprise Services is a collaborative partner for other Oklahoma state agencies and oversees the state’s accounting and reporting, budgeting, capital assets management, information technology, human capital management, employee health plans and procurement standards. Through these essential services, OMES fulfills its mission of “Serving those who serve Oklahomans.”

Grow with Google was started in 2017 to help Americans grow their skills, careers and businesses. It provides training, tools and expertise to help small business owners, veterans and military families, jobseekers, students, educators, startups, and developers. Since Grow with Google’s inception, it has helped more than 11 million Americans develop new skills. Grow with Google has a network of more than 9,500 partner organizations like libraries, schools, small business development centers, chambers of commerce and nonprofits to help people coast to coast.

Media Contact

Christa Helfrey
christa.helfrey@omes.ok.gov

Jasqueline Sit, APR
jsit@goodengroup.com
405-888-3683