The University of Hawaiʻi is offering free access to online AI and career skills training for students, faculty and staff across all 10 campuses through December 2027, thanks to its participation in the National Association of System Heads (NASH)-Google Community of Practice. The initiative is part of a growing movement to expand AI literacy and workforce readiness in higher education.
UH joins 75 campuses nationwide in offering self-paced, online learning through Coursera, featuring two AI Essentials courses and nine Grow with Google Career Certificate courses in areas such as data analytics, IT support, cybersecurity and project management.
These micro-credentials, developed with input from employers and faculty nationwide, are backed by the American Council on Education. Upon completion, participants earn digital badges that can be added to résumés and professional profiles—badges that are recognized by more than 1,500 employers seeking candidates with these specific, in-demand skills.
Interested UH community members can explore the offerings and sign up at hawaii.edu/its/coursera.
UH has secured 3,500 renewable course licenses, meaning 3,500 members can be enrolled in a course at any given time through 2027. As each participant completes a course, the license becomes available for someone else in the UH community.
“Our participation in this initiative reflects the university’s commitment to equip students for the jobs of today and tomorrow. UH graduates with demonstrated skills such as data analytics, regardless of their degree, are more competitive in the job market today. We hope our community takes full advantage of this opportunity,” said Christine Beaule, UH System director of workforce development.
Plans are to develop a faculty learning community by fall 2025 to encourage interested faculty members across the UH System to integrate career certificate programs into existing courses. Workforce development is one of the four imperatives of the UH System’s Strategic Plan for 2023–2029.
