🤖 A Global Push for AI Upskilling. Join the Global Skills Week Forum, March 24-26.

Hello 👋

HolonIQ analysis identifies higher education and workforce development as key areas where AI could have a significant impact—an insight now unfolding in the market. Massive initiatives like the $500B Stargate venture from Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank highlight the growing global demand for AI-ready talent, accompanied by similar investments in upskilling from tech giants (Microsoft, Google, AWS) and governments in countries such as the UK, India and Nigeria. 

Post-secondary institutions are under pressure to adapt to this demand, launching accelerated degrees, certificate programs, and industry-aligned initiatives like the Riipen-led college consortium to meet employer demands, or the Responsible AI Consortium launched late last year. For employers, the focus is also shifting to skills. AI competencies are becoming non-negotiable, with reskilling and upskilling programs key to staying competitive in this fast-evolving landscape.

Education leaders highlight Post Secondary and Upskilling as key areas for AI impact.

🛠️ Join Leaders from Industry and Higher Education at Global Skills Week, March 24-28, 2025

The Future of Skills & Work Forum on Wednesday March 26, is the main program for Global Skills Week in 2025, connecting the global skills economy to advance ideas, initiatives and partnerships for next-generation skills, quality jobs and economic growth. Numbers are limited - Register Now!

🌐 Global Conferences & Events

Meet with higher education leaders and experts from around the world, in person and online, at one of the QS Global events in 2025 to discuss emerging trends and pressing challenges in higher education.

2025 events include the QS EduData Summit and QS Reimagine Education, and regional and country-focused events for Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Americas, Europe, China, India and Arab region. Learn More.

💪 Power Moves

🤝 Keystone Education and ApplyBoard to expand operations. Keystone Education raised $104M in funding to expand platform operations, and ApplyBoard began operations in Germany.

🤖 South Korea and the US to expand cybersecurity training opportunities in higher education. Cisco and South Korea partnered to launch a virtual cybersecurity internship program, and the US State Department funded a cybersecurity training program launched through a joint effort between CRDF Global and SecDev.

💡 Microsoft and Google to expand digital upskilling opportunities in India and the Philippines. IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has partnered with Google, and IDEMIA India collaborated with Microsoft to develop these tech skill development programs.

💰 Funding

🌍 Keystone Education Group, a Norwegian platform specialized in support for international student recruitment, raised $103.6M in funding to scale technological advancement and global expansion.

🎓 Pathify, a US-based student portal platform, raised $25M in funding to scale operations. 

🏫 Enko Education, a South African international schools group, raised $24M to develop and expand its school network

📱 Codiplay, a Kazakh mobile solution for science learning for K-12 students, raised $9M to fuel its expansion plans in the MENA region and improve platform offerings with AI courseware that helps teachers bring recent innovations to their classes through gamification.

🎓 Degree Analytics, a US-based platform for student retention data, raised $5M in funding to support the development and rollout of its facilities optimization platform. 

💻  HEX, an Australian online education provider, acquired Entrylevel, an Australian EdTech firm that specializes in reskilling, to add reskilling capabilities for online programs offered through HEX.

💡 Brightchamps, a Singaporean curriculum resource provider, acquired Edjust, a provider of digital solutions for personalized education.

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