By Laura Hyde |
Microsoft is investing €4 million ($4.6 million) in AI skilling over the next three years in addition to the €8 million ($9.2 million) it has already invested since 2018. The new funds will be used to develop AI fluency and digital skills among people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences to “unlock Ireland’s AI opportunity”.
The investment will support the expansion of Microsoft Dream Space, a project that has engaged over 500,000 students in AI learning opportunities since 2018.
A new €1 million ($1.1 million) Dream Space hub at Microsoft’s data centre at Grange Castle will provide hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and AI education for more than 5,000 students from primary, post-primary and further education, as well as hundreds of teachers in communities across Dublin and Kildare. The hub will deliver a technically focused curriculum to equip learners with the practical skills needed for emerging high-demand roles in AI, cloud and digital infrastructure.
“We will continue to deliver on our mission of providing every person across the island with the skills to thrive in the era of AI,” said James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland site leader and corporate vice president of Microsoft global operations service centre “As the sector evolves, developing a resilient, skilled workforce is essential to unlocking many career opportunities, empowering people to thrive in a digital-first economy both locally and globally.”
James Lawless, minister for further and higher education, research, innovation and science for the Government of Ireland, said: “Microsoft’s 40-year journey in Ireland is a powerful example of how investment in innovation and talent can transform an economy. By unlocking potential through education and technology, we’re not just shaping careers, we’re shaping Ireland’s future as a global leader in digital innovation.”