The subject of artificial intelligence has sparked much conversation about how we can use AI effectively and responsibly in work, school, and daily life.
Five hundred local students — and eventually much of California — are having their curiosity ignited.
SDSU Global Campus, in conjunction with the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD), the California State University system, and technology partners Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Instructure, is offering AI-Ready California, an online program to introduce students to building practical AI skills.
The program is developed through the CSU–Industry AI Workforce Acceleration Board to eventually provide foundational AI literacy education to all Californians.
Global Campus provides curriculum design, instructional quality, and credentialing.
A couple years ago, SDSU debuted its popular Academic Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) microcredential, which was geared toward academic settings. AI-Ready California is more of a statewide model for the AI workforce.
It’s the latest offering from Global Campus to equip adult learners across the state with foundational AI literacy.
“Our goal is simple: help California’s workforce become more confident, capable, and ready for an AI-enabled economy,” said Ian Gibson, dean of SDSU Global Campus. “This pilot reflects SDSU Global Campus’s commitment to accessible, relevant learning that meets people where they are.
Preparing For Tomorrow
Workforce readiness is no longer just about preparing for the jobs of tomorrow. It is about helping people adapt to the tools and expectations already reshaping work today. AI-Ready California is one way SDSU Global Campus is helping meet that need.
The pilot group of students were invited directly from SDCCD. It was a targeted outreach intended to solicit a wide swath of adult learners who don’t have a technical background.
The program began this month with an initial cohort of 500 students from both the SDCCD as well as Unemployment Insurance claimants in the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program in the San Diego area.
The pilot offering is free, but the program is scheduled to have a fee attached once it’s open to the public. An interest list is being formed currently for the next phase.
The structure of the program is self-paced online for an approximate completion time of 2–3 hours.
The end takeaway is a microcredential and digital badge, which can be shared on platforms like LinkedIn.
What perhaps can’t be measured in digital accomplishments is the invaluable civic good provided in training the California population how to use AI.
“AI-Ready California reflects what public higher education does best: bringing together education, industry and government to expand opportunity and prepare Californians for the future of work,” said SDSU President Dr. Adela de la Torre. “Building on San Diego State University’s early leadership in AI education, we are expanding this work with our partners to make foundational AI literacy accessible to more Californians, ensuring that more people have the skills and confidence to thrive in our changing economy.”
Following the completion of the pilot program, SDSU Global Campus’ team will evaluate users’ responses and make any necessary adjustments before rolling out a 2.0 version if you will that will be offered to a larger audience in both size and demographics.
Goals Beyond Microcredential
The goal is to offer AI-Ready California to all Californians who seek knowledge on the fast-growing technology.
It could also be used as an entry point to Global Campus’ other degree and professional certificate programs that feature AI as part of the curriculum.
“This AI-Ready California initiative will be a complement to all the other programs we offer,” said Casey Rothenberger, the Executive Director of Academic & Professional Programs at SDSU Global Campus. “It’s standalone of course for individuals who want to learn more, whether for their own personal enrichment or with their career. But it’s going to be so complementary to everything we offer and do. Something that adds to the overall certificate or degree as a skill set.”
Since the pilot program is completely free for users, SDSU sought partnerships from industry leaders as well as philanthropic companies and the state of California.
The James Irvine Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, provided a $75,000 grant that not only assists in the program setup, but also goes to establish a scalable, equity-centered model for delivering future-of-work skills.
Amazon Web Services was brought on board to provide cloud infrastructure and technical support, and Instructure — which runs the Canvas platform used by about half of higher education students in North America — is partnering to provide the learning platform and credentialing infrastructure.
“A large part of the success of bringing a program of this magnitude to a specific population of learners is viewing collaboration as a necessary component,” Gibson said. “Their perspectives are highly valuable as we continue shaping a program designed to expand access to future-ready skills across California.”
The public-private partnership also includes working with California Secretary Stewart Knox and the state Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
The initiative offers an accessible, online learning experience built around two interconnected learning dimensions:
- Civics & Responsibility – Participants learn to use AI safely and responsibly, with emphasis on privacy, data protection, and appropriate use.
- Career & Workforce Readiness – Learners gain practical skills to leverage AI for productivity, job-seeking, and long-term adaptability in an AI-augmented labor market.
Participants will learn how to use AI safely and ethically while developing skills that support productivity, career advancement and long-term adaptability in an evolving labor market.
“With AI‑Ready California, we’re working to ensure Californians, regardless of background or experience, have the skills and confidence they need to use AI responsibly and productively,” Knox said. “Our partnership with higher education and industry reflects a shared commitment to preparing Californians for the future of work through expanded access to learning today.”
Last month, Gibson and SDSU Chief Information Officer James Frazee presented the program to the CSU AI Workforce Acceleration Board. They assured the board the program aligns with statewide workforce priorities, access to priority populations and scale pathways.
SDSU and the state of California are aiming big with an estimated one million learners as the goal of AI-Ready California.
Thoughtful Program Design
Lindsay Vance designed courses at SDSU Global Campus for nearly six years. As executive director of instructional design, she led a team in creating innovative, people-first learning experiences that integrate technology and learning science to advance student success.
“When I was designing the course, I thought about the many Californians who have heard of AI, but had never really explored the topic due to a lack of access or information,” Vance said. “When I think about reaching millions of learners across California, I think of the wide diversity of learners throughout the design process and the doors a microcredential like this might open for them. It’s exciting to imagine the possibilities this can create.”
It’s important to know AI-Ready California doesn’t specifically endorse a particular solution or software. It’s not a course on how you use ChatGPT.
Instead, it shows the practices and fundamentals that one can apply to any innovation technology, but especially AI.
For instance, the program looks at how to engage AI safely, how to write good prompts and the overall fundamental skills that are transferable to different types of software.
Vance is quick to point out that we don’t know what’s coming next in terms of how technology will shape our lives.
But we do know with a fair amount of confidence that adaptability and agility with technology is going to be important.
“SDSU is a natural leader in this space,” Vance said. “So bringing forth the internal expertise across our campus and leveraging the agility of Global Campus to launch as quickly as possible speaks directly to our values, our mission as an institution, and the vision of our leadership.
“We’re really trying to stay on the cutting edge of what’s next and truly prepare not just our students, but the community for what’s coming.”
For additional information, including enrollment information and program requirements, check out the story on SDSU NewsCenter.
