AVPN has selected 28 local organisations for the third phase of its AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, expanding AI skills training across 19 markets. Supported by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank, the programme is extending beyond existing workers to teachers, university faculty and students, while continuing to reach healthcare, agriculture, service-sector and small-business workforces. Alongside the new cohort, AVPN has launched an AI Opportunity Learning Platform offering localised training pathways in 16 languages, with a Gemini-powered assistant to help learners navigate available resources.
AVPN Expands AI Literacy Training Across 19 Asia-Pacific Markets
As artificial intelligence becomes more widely embedded in education and workplace operations, access to practical AI skills is emerging as a critical challenge for economies across Asia-Pacific. A growing number of organizations are introducing AI tools, but workers, educators and small businesses do not necessarily have the training needed to use them effectively or evaluate their limitations.
A new expansion of the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific is targeting that gap. AVPN has selected 28 local implementing partners for the programme’s third phase, extending training into 19 markets and placing greater emphasis on teachers, university faculty and students. Supported by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the initiative will also continue reaching workers in healthcare, agriculture, service industries and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The announcement is accompanied by the launch of the AI Opportunity Learning Platform, a regional gateway that connects learners with training programmes developed and delivered by local organisations. Available in 16 languages, the platform uses a short assessment to recommend learning pathways and includes a Gemini-powered assistant for navigation and guided learning.
Educators Become a Priority for AI Skills Development
A defining feature of the third phase is its focus on educators. Most of the 28 implementing partners will work with K-12 teachers, university students and faculty, extending the programme beyond immediate workforce reskilling.
The strategy recognizes that training teachers can have a multiplier effect. Educators who understand how to use AI critically can introduce those capabilities to successive groups of students, helping AI literacy become part of longer-term education systems rather than a series of isolated workshops.
The selected partners illustrate how the programme is being adapted to different national contexts.
In India, Pratham Education Foundation will train teachers to use AI critically in classrooms. Its programme will adapt and localise resources, including Experience AI and Google for Education, while teaching educators when AI tools may not be appropriate or reliable.
In South Korea, JA Korea will combine Google’s AI training with formal certification for public school teachers. The organisation, which says it has trained 11,000 teachers over six years, will also focus on rural educators and use classroom experience to inform policy discussions with government officials.
Vietnam-based AI Edu Corp will support efforts to integrate AI literacy into teacher standards. The organisation reports that it has trained nearly 150,000 educators, students and workers since 2019 and has existing relationships with the country’s Ministry of Education and Training.
These projects show how regional AI skills programmes can move beyond generic digital training toward local curricula, institutional partnerships and education policy.
A Multilingual Platform Connects Learners With Local Training
The AI Opportunity Learning Platform is designed to make the Fund’s training ecosystem easier to access.
Instead of requiring learners to identify individual providers and programmes themselves, the platform brings local opportunities and resources together in one place. Its assessment-based recommendations are intended to guide users toward training suited to their experience and intended application.
Support for 16 languages is particularly relevant in a region where language, education systems and digital access vary considerably between markets. Localisation can make training more accessible to people who may not be comfortable learning technical concepts exclusively in English.
A Gemini-powered assistant will answer questions about the platform and help users navigate learning resources. The announcement also says certification is available after training completion, although it does not specify a common certification framework or a standardised assessment across all partner programmes.
The platform’s value will therefore depend not only on the availability of courses, but also on their quality, relevance and ability to translate learning into practical skills.
New Partners Strengthen Local Delivery
AVPN has added the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Ayala Foundation as strategic partners for Phase Three.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation will work with implementing organisations to adapt Experience AI educational content for local markets and languages. It will also provide training and guidance to help partners use those resources.
In the Philippines, Ayala Foundation will provide access to Google AI learning resources for educators and students. It will also support local implementing partners seeking opportunities to strengthen their organisations.
The involvement of these groups highlights the importance of delivery networks in AI education. Technology platforms can provide tools and content, but local institutions are often better positioned to understand the needs of teachers, students and workers in their communities.
The programme also connects with AI Ready ASEAN, an initiative led by the ASEAN Foundation, extending the Fund’s reach through existing regional education and training networks.
The AI Skills Gap Is an Economic and Inclusion Challenge
The initiative arrives as demand for AI-related capabilities grows across industries, while access to structured learning remains uneven.
The International Labour Organization’s May 2026 regional brief, Lifelong Learning and Skills for the Future: Insights for Asia and the Pacific, found that only 12.6% of the working-age population in the region participates in structured learning activities. That figure points to a broader challenge for reskilling programmes: workers need accessible opportunities to keep their capabilities aligned with changing technologies. International Labour Organization
AVPN’s own 2025 report, AI for All: Building an AI-Ready Workforce in Asia-Pacific, found that only 15% of surveyed individuals had participated in AI skilling, while more than half were unaware that such programmes existed. The research drew on nearly 3,000 end-beneficiary survey responses across eight countries and territories.
These gaps are particularly important for MSMEs and workers in sectors where formal technology training may be limited. Basic AI literacy increasingly involves more than learning how to operate a chatbot. It includes evaluating generated information, understanding privacy and security risks, identifying suitable use cases and knowing when human expertise should take precedence.
A $35 Million Programme Moves Into Its Next Stage
Google.org launched the AI Opportunity Fund in 2024 with a commitment of $15 million. It added $10 million for Phase Two in May 2025 and another $10 million for Phase Three in May 2026, bringing its total commitment to $35 million.
According to AVPN, the Fund has so far trained more than 850,000 workers and 63,000 small businesses across Asia-Pacific. It has worked with almost 60 local implementing partner organisations and delivered programmes in more than 30 local languages.
The latest announcement shifts attention toward the infrastructure needed to sustain those efforts: educator training, local delivery partners, multilingual learning resources and pathways into practical AI use.
For the wider AI industry, the programme illustrates a different dimension of AI adoption. While technology providers compete to develop increasingly capable models and enterprise platforms, the ability of people and institutions to use those systems responsibly will influence how broadly the technology delivers value.
The next measure of success for AVPN and its partners will be whether training translates into lasting improvements in teaching, workplace productivity and small-business capability—not simply how many people enrol in AI courses.
Market Landscape
The AI skills development market is expanding beyond technical education for software developers and data scientists. Governments, employers, education providers and technology companies are increasingly treating AI literacy as a foundational capability.
Three trends are particularly relevant:
- AI literacy in education: Teacher training and curriculum development are becoming important components of national AI readiness strategies.
- Workforce reskilling: Employees need practical skills to use AI tools, interpret outputs and understand their limitations, rather than advanced model-building expertise alone.
- Localised learning infrastructure: Multilingual platforms and community-based training providers can extend AI education to underserved groups and smaller businesses.
The opportunity is significant, but access remains uneven. The ILO reports that only 12.6% of the working-age population in Asia-Pacific participates in structured learning activities. AVPN’s own regional research found that just 15% of surveyed individuals had participated in AI skilling. International Labour Organization+1
For the technology industry, this creates an opportunity for partnerships that combine AI platforms, educational content, local delivery organisations and measurable skills outcomes. Google’s role in the Fund also demonstrates how technology companies are investing in the human capabilities needed to support broader AI adoption.
Top Insights
- AVPN selected 28 local implementing partners to expand AI skills training across 19 Asia-Pacific markets, with a stronger focus on educators.
- The new AI Opportunity Learning Platform connects learners with local training programmes and recommends learning pathways in 16 languages.
- Pratham, JA Korea and AI Edu Corp will deliver country-specific AI education initiatives for teachers and students.
- The Raspberry Pi Foundation and Ayala Foundation join as strategic partners, strengthening educational content localisation and regional delivery.
- Google.org’s total commitment has reached $35 million, with AVPN reporting more than 850,000 workers and 63,000 small businesses trained.
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