(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and Microsoft have announced an expanded partnership to support a strong workforce pipeline and help Workers across North America build the skills needed to succeed in an AI (Artificial Intelligence)-powered economy.

Building on a partnership that has already trained 1,500 Instructors in hands-on Training Centers nationwide, NABTU and Microsoft are now launching no-cost AI literacy courses and industry-recognized credentials to help make foundational AI skills accessible to millions of Skilled Craft Professionals across North America.

The partnership also extends to TradesFutures, a non-profit 501(c)(3), to expand awareness of careers in the Skilled Trades.

This partnership will build AI literacy across TradesFutures' Apprenticeship Readiness Program network that connects people to Union Construction Apprenticeship Programs and careers in 34 States.

The collaboration reflects a practical, long-term approach to ensuring people and communities building the AI economy share in its benefits.

Together, Microsoft and NABTU are creating real career pathways and access to AI skills training designed with and for the Skilled Trades, grounded in the realities of the jobsite, focused on safety and quality, and delivered through trusted Union Apprenticeship Systems and Microsoft's on-line LinkedIn learning platform that can help millions of people enter family-sustaining careers.

The expanded partnership is aligned to Microsoft's Community-First AI Infrastructure commitments, reflecting a focus on helping ensure the communities where new infrastructure is built benefit from the jobs created.

NABTU President Sean McGarvey said: "NABTU's training model has always been about scale, quality and lifelong opportunity. Through this expanded collaboration with Microsoft, we are making AI training available to Instructors, Apprentices and Journey-Level Workers across our system. This work helps keep the Building Trades at the forefront of innovation while advancing our mission to deliver family-sustaining careers and help shape how new technology expands opportunity for every Worker."

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