Kyndryl Foundation expands global cybersecurity and AI skills grants

Strengthening global skills commitments

Kyndryl Foundation grants will fund programs that deliver practical, hands‑on training, along with mentoring and job‑readiness support – delivered and administered by independent nonprofit organizations preparing participants for career opportunities in the digital economy. Several of these programs directly support government-led skills pledges, contributing to national and regional workforce initiatives.

The following nonprofit organizations will receive Kyndryl Foundation’s third-year grants:

• Article 1 (France – new market) supports youth employability by integrating STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The Kyndryl Foundation grant will help Article 1 incorporate AI‑powered tools into its mentoring platform and expand AI‑literacy training for 4,000 students. It will also deliver national and regional AI workshops and events for 200 participants, train 120 mentors, and provide enhanced mentoring.
• CLACK (Japan) will offer its “Be Pro Cybersecurity” course for 700 students from economically disadvantaged families in Tokyo and Osaka. The two-day skilling program and foundational sessions train students on the basics of cybersecurity and help them expand their career choices.
• Czechitas (Czechia) provides training programs for two tech career paths – Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst and Information Security Specialist. The nonprofit will certify 110 individuals in cybersecurity tracks, train 1,000 in cybersecurity courses and reach 50,000 through awareness and online programming.
• Data Security Council of India (DSCI) will continue to train 50 individuals under its flagship Cyber Vaahini program, launched with a Kyndryl Foundation grant in 2024. The nonprofit will also establish a new training center in Delhi to provide industry‑standard skills, hands‑on experience and employment support under expert mentorship.
• Fair Chance Futures (US), a Columbia University initiative, will expand its AI workforce pathways program to other universities – helping deliver AI capstone solutions, serving 1,000 fellows across program tracks, and supporting them with job placement through Fair Chance Futures’ “Just Hire One” program.
• Fundación Cibervoluntarios (Spain) runs the #RetoHacker cybersecurity skilling course. Over two years, the program will train 10,000 young people in cybersecurity and ethical hacking through 400 practical training sessions. Additionally, the organization aims to reach 300,000 students and community members through its cybersecurity awareness campaign.
• Generation: You Employed (UK) will deliver train-and-place boot camps supporting 400 people over two years who face barriers to employment toward life-changing careers in tech and cybersecurity.
• Girl Security (US) will create a talent development pathway supporting more than 1,200 participants prepared for cybersecurity and AI careers by 2027 through expanded security clinics, a growing mentor network, and All Secure – its user-centered platform for AI learning and critical thinking. Girl Security also aims to reach 50,000 educators and students, extending its impact into classrooms and communities.
• Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) (Canada) supports economic growth across New Brunswick’s 16 Indigenous communities by delivering advanced IT training programs in urban and rural regions. They will support 60 Indigenous students with IT and cybersecurity training, and subsets of participants will gain access to externally administered internships, full-time employment, cybersecurity competitions, and industry conferences.
• Junior Achievement (JA) Americas (Brazil and Costa Rica) runs the “She is Digital” program focused on training and employability in the knowledge economy, specifically in cybersecurity. The nonprofit will deliver cybersecurity and career skills training to 720 individuals from Brazil and Costa Rica and support them in finding jobs.
• Laboratoria (Mexico – new market) expands access to technology education and workforce pathways to advance economic participation in Latin America’s digital economy. The nonprofit will train 200 under‑ and unemployed individuals pursuing careers in digital and technology fields with foundational cybersecurity and job‑readiness skills.
• Mamo Pracuj Foundation (Poland) organizes “The Cyber Women Pro,” a program that enables individuals, including refugees and migrants, to return to the workforce after a career break. The nonprofit will certify 400 individuals in a cybersecurity‑basics course and support 50 in earning CompTIA Security+ certifications, while offering awareness activities, webinars and advanced training to thousands more across two years.
• NPO Sodateage Net (Japan) enables youth empowerment and economic independence through various employment support programs, awareness activities, career guidance sessions, and family support. The nonprofit will provide a cybersecurity skilling program to nearly 1,500 young people and help them with internship and job placement and share long‑term recommendations with government and corporations to scale cybersecurity talent development.
• United Way Hungary offers a modular training program on cybersecurity – “The United for CyberSafe Youth” – for secondary school students and young adults.  The nonprofit will update and expand program modules – including AI and career guidance – to reach an additional 1,500 students in classrooms and 2,000 via e-learning. It will also train educators to teach the training program and further their career development.

Learn more about Kyndryl Foundation's commitment to addressing the global skills shortage in cybersecurity and AI at www.kyndryl.org.