Microsoft and NABTU Expand AI Training for Skilled Trades Across North America

Apr 21, 2026
Microsoft and North America's Building Trades Unions have expanded their partnership to launch free AI literacy courses and credentials for skilled trades professionals across North America, aiming to make foundational AI skills accessible through union training centers and LinkedIn Learning.

North America's Building Trades Unions and Microsoft have expanded their partnership to provide free AI literacy courses and industry-recognized credentials for skilled trades professionals across North America, announced in a press release.

The initiative builds on an earlier program that trained 1,500 instructors at training centers nationwide. It will now integrate AI education into NABTU's Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee model and deliver courses through LinkedIn Learning. Participants who complete the courses will earn an industry-recognized AI literacy credential.

The partnership also involves TradesFutures, a nonprofit organization operating in 34 states, which runs apprenticeship readiness programs connecting people to union construction careers. Microsoft and NABTU are co-designing curriculum content with training directors and instructors to align AI applications with the needs of the skilled trades.

This expanded effort supports NABTU's workforce development mission and aligns with Microsoft's Community-First AI Infrastructure commitments, aiming to equip workers who build the infrastructure of the AI economy with relevant digital skills.

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