Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft has partnered with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) to reskill citizens living in Alberta, Canada, whose employment opportunities have been impacted by Covid-19. The organisations will offer C$200,000 in scholarships in Amii’s Machine Learning Technician Certification I, which will help participants build their knowledge in artificial intelligence.
“Alberta is an important part of Canada’s economic engine and will play a critical role in the country’s recovery,” said Kevin Peesker, president of Microsoft Canada. “Like Microsoft, Amii believes that the real potential of cloud and AI is unlocked when businesses have the talent to build and deploy their own solutions.
“Amii is a world-renowned organisation in the fields of AI and machine learning, and we are pleased to work with them to help more people – particularly those from underrepresented groups – access the skills they need to strengthen Alberta’s economic future.”
Amii’s Machine Learning Technician Certification I is a 13-week certificate focused on growing technical skills in AI and machine learning (ML). The award features 100 hours of training in virtual labs, lectures and group sessions. Amii says that upon completion of the certificate, “participants will have gained the skills to confidently create a business case for an ML project at their company as well as the ability to undertake an ML project or apply for a job with AI/ML requirements”.
“With the demand for AI and ML expertise continuing to grow, Amii is pleased to collaborate with Microsoft to accelerate our ability to deliver exceptional training that prepares Albertans for the careers of the future,” said Cam Linke, CEO of Amii. “We’re especially excited to bring diverse voices to our programme and our field by offering seats to communities that are historically underserved in computing science and STEM. Alberta already leads the world in producing top talent in AI, and this collaboration will help us maintain our advantage.”