Wilkes University joins Google AI for Education Accelerator

Wilkes University announced today that it has joined the Google AI for Education Accelerator program to offer career focused resources for students. The program is a national initiative to support AI skill building and provides access to training resources and tools for research, classroom projects, professional development and more. All Wilkes students will receive free access to Google Career Certificates in cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing and ecommerce, IT support, project management and UX design. The resources also include courseware on AI skills such as Prompting Essentials and premium features in Gemini and Notebook LM. Abel Adekola, dean of the College of Business and Engineering, said joining the program is a significant value add to the college's programs given its AACSB and ABET accreditations. The opportunities will make students' degrees and skills more marketable in the global competitive environment, he said. Woojun Lee, associate dean and director of graduate programs, said employers and advisory board members have emphasized the need for AI education. Wilkes is addressing this through the partnership and new programs such as the certificate in business analytics and AI, Lee said. Students will gain foundational AI skills, prompting techniques and experience with responsible AI use, he added. The program is part of Google's $1 billion investment in education and workforce readiness in the United States, with over 100 institutions in the inaugural cohort.