AI Skilling Boom in Poland – Microsoft engages half a million people in developing competencies of the future

More than 20 projects with Polish organizations and thousands of hours of online training materials & activation in offline space – Microsoft has built a comprehensive educational ecosystem that supports the use of artificial intelligence in everyday life and professional work. In six months, as many as 500,000 people in Poland engaged in learning AI. ”Thanks to the cooperation with Partners from across sectors in Poland, we have made AI training accessible to diverse group of audiences, from users, developers and org leaders,” said Łukasz Foks, Director, AI National Skills for Poland, Microsoft.

Half a million people engaged in developing AI skills marks the halfway point of a pledge announced last November to help skill one million people in Poland in the practical use of artificial intelligence. Microsoft has launched collaborations with a wide range of Partners – from NGOs and educational organizations to industry groups, academia, and nonprofit foundations. Together, they are fulfilling a mission to spread technological knowledge by creating educational programs tailored to the needs of diverse social groups – from teachers, to students and civil society & public sector workers. Digital skills required for the AI economy are now becoming available.
We created two personal stories to emphasize the importance of AI skills: Revolutionizing math education with AI – the story of Basia & From miner to AI DevOps specialist – the story of Mateusz.

Partnering with government – a shared mission for digital education

The government’s PW eSkills program, which Microsoft has recenty joined, is expected to help meet the commitment. This initiative brings together public administration, the social sector, business, and academia to create a collaborative space for the development of digital skills in Poland. The program empowers citizens through educational activities, innovative projects, and knowledge-sharing opportunities. As a result, engaged learners gain the tools necessary to actively participate in professional, social, and citizen life in an era of rapid technological transformation, while also festering broader awareness of the role digital skills play in the shaping the future.

Supporting young people and those who teach others

Another important focus is support for teachers and school leaders. Free webinars titled  ”Time for AI in education” organized by WSiP, Microsoft and AiD, help educators understand the potential of artificial intelligence in everyday teaching. Meanwhile, the course ”AI: The future starts today,” developed by Digital University, enables teachers to effectively prepare young people for the challenges of the digital future.

One of the groups for whom the development of competencies in the field of artificial intelligence is crucial are those starting their career path – school students, university students, and recent graduates. Dedicated educational programs have been created to not only introduce them to modern technologies, but also to help them navigate a rapidly evolving job market. Among these initiatives is the „“(A)ctivate (I)nnovation” program, aimed at young AI enthusiasts who want to grow as educators, mentors, and leaders of inspiring change. These initiatives help turn curiosity into awareness and engagement.

AI for social inclusion and civil socjety, incl. healthcare, law

Artificial intelligence also finds practical applications in specialized sectors such as healthcare and law, where the role of modern technology is becoming increasingly important. One of the programs supported by Microsoft is „AI in health”, a free training initiative delivered by the Coalition for AI and Innovation in Healthcare. It introduces medical professionals to real-life applications of AI in everyday patient care. For the legal sector, the National Chamber of Legal Advisors has developed the “AI Proficiency” course, available on the e-KIRP platform. This program helps legal professionals understand how AI works, its impact on legal practice, and the legal challenges associated with its implementation, raising both skills and awareness of emerging technologies.

Among the supported initiatives is also „Smart Start” – a program by the Aktywizacja Foundation, which helps people with disabilities to develop digital skills and prepare for entering the job market. Introductory AI courses available on the Sektor 3.0 e-learning platform offer an accessible knowledge base for all engaged learners, regardless of their prior experience. Microsoft has also partnered with the ”My Digital Life” training series led by the Information Society Development Foundation (FRSI) and actively supports the empowerment of women in the technology industry through special sessions and challenges at the Women in Tech Summit. These efforts are aimed at building an inclusive approach to technology education and ensuring equal access to digital skills.

AI – a must-have competency for the job market

Microsoft’s initiative aims to reduce the skills gap in Poland. According to the Work Trend Index 2025, only 30% of employees in the country know how to use AI effectively. Meanwhile, 84% of business leaders expect to use AI agents as a digital collaborators within the next 12 to 18 months to boost their teams’ operational capacity. Mastering the use of diverse AI tools to enhance productivity, creativity, and ultimately business performance, is becoming essential. Business leaders are already preparing for the future – 46% of managers surveyed in Poland anticipate that AI training and the development of digital skills will become one of their teams’ top priorities within the next five years. Microsoft’s initiative directly responds to the growing need for AI fluency in the modern workplace.

”AI superpowers for everyone in Poland – that’s our ambition, and we’re achieving it together with a wide network of Partners. These important partners help us reach more effectively all those who want to learn artificial intelligence,” said Łukasz Foks, Director, AI National Skills, Microsoft. “Our mission is to ensure that as many people in Poland as possible have access to courses, training, and learning materials so they can gain the skills they need, on their own terms. So far, we’ve reached 500 000 engaged learners, and we’re just getting started. I believe new partnerships will help us double that number just as quickly.”

List of partnerships

With that note, we want to say thank you to all organizations who built programs with us so far: FRSI (with two projects: My Digital Life and Sektor 3.0), Future Collars (AI Fluency for Manufacturing industry), Digital University (with AI Course open to anyone, with amazing effort targeting schools), Absolvent.pl (with Talent Days and Code Europe), Fundacja Aktywizacja (with Smart Start program with AI Course in Polish Sign Language), SoDA Association (targeting PL Software Houses via dedicated events and online skilling programs), Academic Partners (with multi-month program skilling journey spanning multiple projects like Data Science Summit, Warsaw IT Days, MS Tech Summit), Startup Poland (with AI Toolbox targeting Educators and Developers), VC Leaders (supporting AI startup ecosystem with CEElicon Valley program), Wydawnictwo Szkolne i Pedagogiczne (WSiP with AI-focused webinars targeting K-12 teachers), Econverse (with AI Ready program), KIRP – National Chamber of Legal Advisors (with AI Fluency course), Zwolnieni z Teorii (with “Activate Innovation” – AI Ambassadors program to empower students and teachers), Perspektywy (with onsite activation during Women in Tech Summit and dedicated Learn challenges), wZdrowiu (AI in Healthcare Academy), Coders Lab szkoła IT (with AI-powered programming for Developers course), Cloud Team (with AI Heroes program), Photon (with Classwise-powered classes).

We also want to recognize our media partners who brought “micro-learning” into media content, along with customers and partners who integrated our AI Fluency course into their learning systems and skilling strategies.

Also, we’re constantly updating localized AI Skills Navigator available at: https://aiskillsnavigator.microsoft.com/pl-pl, with free AI courses from Microsoft Learn, and LinkedIn Learning.