Verizon Free AI Training Helps Build Future-Ready Skills
When Rifat Kabir Sharna relocated from Bangladesh to Columbus, Ohio, with her husband in November 2023, she arrived with ambitions of continuing her career in technology. Her previous experience in technology and media gave her a starting point, but she recognized that additional training would be important as she worked to establish herself professionally in the United States.
Starting over in a new country also brought financial challenges. With traditional education programs often carrying significant costs, Sharna looked for free ways to expand her knowledge and strengthen her professional credentials. Through Verizon's no-cost skills development initiatives, she completed certifications covering programming, leadership and communication, and workplace diversity.
The training helped strengthen both her technical abilities and confidence and contributed to her decision to pursue a master's degree in computer science, specializing in artificial intelligence, in 2025. Her experience illustrates the objective of Verizon's AI Skills for America initiative, which provides free AI training and certifications intended to help people prepare for an increasingly AI-driven workplace.
Sharna says the courses have closely supported her academic and career ambitions.Building a Foundation Through Free Certifications
Since moving to the United States, Sharna has taken a deliberate approach to expanding her education and professional skills. Through Verizon's programs, she earned a leadership and communication certification from Harvard University, a workplace diversity certification from Rice University and a professional certification in Python programming.
“It was a great opportunity to take these certification courses free of cost while developing both my technical and professional skills,” Sharna says.
She says the leadership and workplace diversity coursework helped increase her confidence as she prepared for graduate-level study. The Python certification was particularly important because she believed it demonstrated to university admissions teams that she had developed a sufficient technical foundation to pursue advanced studies in computer science or information systems.
The additional qualifications soon translated into academic opportunities. About a year after completing the certifications, Sharna was accepted into four of the five graduate programs in data science, information systems and computer science to which she applied.
“That felt like a major accomplishment and gave me much more confidence in my academic and professional path,” she says.
Her graduate studies have also provided opportunities that once seemed out of reach. Sharna presented two projects at her program's annual conference, an achievement she says she had never expected before beginning this journey.Developing Skills for an AI-Driven Workplace
Sharna has continued to build her AI knowledge as part of her graduate education. She is involved with her school's AI club and has taken classes covering areas such as knowledge-based AI and game AI. She also uses artificial intelligence tools to research academic material and improve her writing.
“[Using AI] can feel like having a knowledgeable buddy who can quickly provide useful information and point me toward credible sources, which saves a lot of time,” she says.
For Sharna, understanding AI is becoming an increasingly important part of preparing for the modern workplace. She believes professionals across industries will need to understand how these technologies can be applied productively and responsibly.
“We are living in a time when AI is rapidly becoming part of how people work, learn and solve problems,” she explains. “AI can save a great deal of time and effort, and many businesses are increasingly looking for people who understand how to use these tools both effectively and responsibly.”
Alongside her AI knowledge, Sharna has developed capabilities in leadership, communication, workplace diversity and programming. She encourages people interested in artificial intelligence to explore the technology themselves and sees Verizon's training programs as a useful starting point for developing practical skills.
“To someone considering Verizon’s AI training and resources, I would say, go for it,” she says. “Learning these skills can open new possibilities, and you are unlikely to regret investing in your own development.”Free Resources for Building AI Skills
Verizon's AI Skills for America program provides free training, certifications and other educational resources aimed at helping people develop capabilities relevant to an evolving AI-focused economy.
Sharna's experience demonstrates how accessible skills training can complement formal education by helping learners strengthen technical knowledge, build confidence and prepare for new academic and professional opportunities.
Individual experiences and outcomes can vary, and participation in training programs does not guarantee specific educational or employment results.
Starting over in a new country also brought financial challenges. With traditional education programs often carrying significant costs, Sharna looked for free ways to expand her knowledge and strengthen her professional credentials. Through Verizon's no-cost skills development initiatives, she completed certifications covering programming, leadership and communication, and workplace diversity.
The training helped strengthen both her technical abilities and confidence and contributed to her decision to pursue a master's degree in computer science, specializing in artificial intelligence, in 2025. Her experience illustrates the objective of Verizon's AI Skills for America initiative, which provides free AI training and certifications intended to help people prepare for an increasingly AI-driven workplace.
Sharna says the courses have closely supported her academic and career ambitions.
Building a Foundation Through Free Certifications
Since moving to the United States, Sharna has taken a deliberate approach to expanding her education and professional skills. Through Verizon's programs, she earned a leadership and communication certification from Harvard University, a workplace diversity certification from Rice University and a professional certification in Python programming.“It was a great opportunity to take these certification courses free of cost while developing both my technical and professional skills,” Sharna says.
She says the leadership and workplace diversity coursework helped increase her confidence as she prepared for graduate-level study. The Python certification was particularly important because she believed it demonstrated to university admissions teams that she had developed a sufficient technical foundation to pursue advanced studies in computer science or information systems.
The additional qualifications soon translated into academic opportunities. About a year after completing the certifications, Sharna was accepted into four of the five graduate programs in data science, information systems and computer science to which she applied.
“That felt like a major accomplishment and gave me much more confidence in my academic and professional path,” she says.
Her graduate studies have also provided opportunities that once seemed out of reach. Sharna presented two projects at her program's annual conference, an achievement she says she had never expected before beginning this journey.
Developing Skills for an AI-Driven Workplace
Sharna has continued to build her AI knowledge as part of her graduate education. She is involved with her school's AI club and has taken classes covering areas such as knowledge-based AI and game AI. She also uses artificial intelligence tools to research academic material and improve her writing.“[Using AI] can feel like having a knowledgeable buddy who can quickly provide useful information and point me toward credible sources, which saves a lot of time,” she says.
For Sharna, understanding AI is becoming an increasingly important part of preparing for the modern workplace. She believes professionals across industries will need to understand how these technologies can be applied productively and responsibly.
“We are living in a time when AI is rapidly becoming part of how people work, learn and solve problems,” she explains. “AI can save a great deal of time and effort, and many businesses are increasingly looking for people who understand how to use these tools both effectively and responsibly.”
Alongside her AI knowledge, Sharna has developed capabilities in leadership, communication, workplace diversity and programming. She encourages people interested in artificial intelligence to explore the technology themselves and sees Verizon's training programs as a useful starting point for developing practical skills.
“To someone considering Verizon’s AI training and resources, I would say, go for it,” she says. “Learning these skills can open new possibilities, and you are unlikely to regret investing in your own development.”
Free Resources for Building AI Skills
Verizon's AI Skills for America program provides free training, certifications and other educational resources aimed at helping people develop capabilities relevant to an evolving AI-focused economy.Sharna's experience demonstrates how accessible skills training can complement formal education by helping learners strengthen technical knowledge, build confidence and prepare for new academic and professional opportunities.
Individual experiences and outcomes can vary, and participation in training programs does not guarantee specific educational or employment results.
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