Dive Brief:
- Salesforce signed the Trump administration's "Pledge to America's Workers" and plans to train half a million U.S. workers in skills needed for today's jobs as well as tomorrow's, Salesforce announced in a press release. The company's free online learning platform, Trailhead, is helping people "earn Salesforce credentials and get top jobs in the Salesforce ecosystem," the release said.
- Salesforce estimates that with partnerships and customers, it will generate more than 3 million jobs in the next three years. To meet demand, learners will get access to public speaking courses, soft skills and career development training and training in tech skills, like AI and mobile app basics, Salesforce said.
- Salesforce noted that around 300,000 job postings ask for Salesforce skills specifically. Trailhead will offer Salesforce administrator, developer and marketing manager training, the company said.
Dive Insight:
With automation changing the nature of work, industries are deciding between building or buying talent.
Faced with a tight talent market, upskilling current employees rather than looking externally for workers has gained popularity. It also provides employers with learner-centric solutions that make upskilling easier.
Employers still lag in adopting learning and development initiatives, while others work with state governments to address skills gaps and ensure they have a qualified talent pool at the ready.
Salesforce, in this case, may alleviate some of the the learning and development pressure employers face by offering its programs for free.
The Pledge to America's Workers aims to create 6 million jobs in the U.S. To help move training even further, new legislation was introduced in January that would help employers subsidize the cost of upskilling workers. These initiatives may be just the start as costs to reskill workers displaced by automation could reach over $30 billion.
