UNAM, Google Cloud launch AI-focused training program

Google Cloud and UNAM have partnered to offer a diploma program in data management and visualization, aiming to address the growing demand for AI skills in Mexico, reports Agencia Quadratín.  

The program, developed through UNAM’s General Directorate of Computing and Information and Communication Technologies (DGTIC), consists of 150 training hours divided into five modules over 19 weeks. It is intended for professionals and university students aiming to improve their data handling and analysis skills through Google Cloud tools, ultimately enabling evidence-based decision-making.

This initiative builds on an existing relationship between Google Cloud and UNAM, which has already resulted in the training of over 3,000 higher education students in cloud computing technologies. The new offering is designed to meet increasing labor market demands and support Mexico’s technological workforce development in an AI-driven economy.

As Jorge Velázquez, Managing Director, Google Cloud Mexico, explains for MBN, businesses in Mexico are entering a critical stage of digital transformation. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, 95% of companies in the country expect AI to transform their operations by 2030.

To ensure that professionals are equipped for this future, Google Cloud has committed to training 1 million people in Mexico. This includes:

• Free access to digital courses via the Google Cloud Skills Boost platform
   

• The Súbete a la nube (Get on the Cloud) program, developed with the Inter-American Development Bank, targeting women in southern Mexico (12,500+ inscriptions so far)
   

• Over 14,000 digital skills badges already awarded
   

• Collaborations with 150+ universities and technical schools to integrate cloud computing into their curricula

Velázquez emphasizes that the future of AI is not just technical, it is personal and organizational. According to a 2024 IDC study commissioned by Google Cloud, 38% of CTIOs in Mexico dedicate time three or more times a week to upskilling, while 37% do so at least once or twice a week.