Launched in January 2025, ”Skills of Tomorrow: AI”
is a free, intensive AI training programme for SMEs offered by Google and SGH Warsaw School of Economics. The programme comprised five weeks of focused instruction. There were 20,000 participants from SMEs, gaining practical competencies in AI and learning how to become AI pioneers in their organisations.
AI AS A CATALYST FOR GROWTH
Poland’s economy is poised for a significant opportunity provided by the AI revolution. According to a report by Implement Consulting Group, effective AI implementation could increase Poland’s GDP by up to 8%—about EUR 55 billion annually—over the next decade. It is estimated that 59% of this growth would come from boosting employee productivity.
The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) data indicate that the SME sector generates almost half of Poland’s GDP (45.3%) and employs 6.9 million people. With AI, small and medium-sized enterprises—already the backbone of the national economy—can achieve faster growth by gaining access to advanced tools previously reserved for large corporations.
Yet 43% of SMEs cite a lack of appropriate skills as the primary barrier to fully leveraging AI within their organisations. The growing interest in AI across the country is evident in Google search data, which shows that searches related to artificial intelligence increased by as much as 60% in 2024. This trend underscores how AI is increasingly viewed as a key driver of competitiveness and efficiency among Polish businesses.
20,000 AI PIONEERS
The ”Skills of Tomorrow: AI” programme, prepared by Google and AI Lab SGH under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Digital Affairs, was designed to address the needs of specialists and entrepreneurs and level the playing field for Polish SMEs. Its goal is to equip specialists and SME owners with the practical know-how to become AI pioneers, focusing on real-world business applications, change management, and AI tools.
The programme initially aimed to train 10,000 participants, but due to the enormous interest, with 40,000 applications, the organisers decided to double the number of places up to 20,000.
A FIVE-WEEK PROGRAMME NEARING COMPLETION
A free five-week ”Skills of Tomorrow: AI” programme offered 25 hours of prerecorded lessons and webinars led by experts from Google, AI Lab SGH and the business community. Through the training provided, participants learned how to work with AI and leverage it for personal productivity and business success. The curriculum was structured in five modules over five weeks.
- Week 1: Fundamentals of Working with AI & Personal Productivity
- Week 2: Application of AI in Business Development and Marketing
- Week 3: Analytical Thinking & Data Analysis with AI
- Week 4: AI Solutions in Google Cloud for Business Growth
- Week 5: Organisational Transformation with AI
Google and AI Lab SGH developed this curriculum based on expert knowledge, research, and numerous interviews with specialists and SME owners. The preparations took over six months of intense market research and course planning. On the Google’s part, Cezary Jaroni, an SGH alumnus, coordinated the programme. From AI Lab SGH, Bogumił Kamiński was responsible for the overall execution of the project, Albert Tomaszewski managed the course curriculum planning, and Paweł Kubicki headed the team responsible for measuring the programme’s impact on the participants’ careers. We plan to share the lessons learned from the project during the 34th Economic Forum in Karpacz. Additionally, Google and AI Lab SGH have already started discussing the next initiatives that would improve AI literacy in the Polish society.
Graduates will receive a Using AI for Business Development certificate, awarded jointly by Google and SGH.
“This programme has a very practical dimension. It helps small and medium-sized entrepreneurs catch up on AI and learn how to apply this new knowledge directly in their business operations. At SGH, we have outstanding AI specialists, organised within our Intercollegiate Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Platforms – AI Lab SGH, led by Professor Bogumił Kamiński. I’m glad our experts and Google specialists co-created this unique training program. It will help business owners become familiar with AI and use it daily to run their companies. The AI revolution is happening before our eyes. If Polish entrepreneurs don’t hop on this train in time, they risk losing competitiveness.” explains Piotr Wachowiak, Rector of SGH.
This initiative marks another successful collaboration between Google and SGH. In the previous editions of ”Skills of Tomorrow” — Poland’s most effective upskilling programme —17,000 people completed a course in online marketing, with one-third finding new employment after receiving their certificates.
CEZARY JARONI, coordinator of the Skills of Tomorrow: AI programme from Google Poland
Professor BOGUMIŁ KAMIŃSKI, Director at AI Lab – Intercollegiate Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Platforms, Head of Decision Analysis and Support Unit, Collegium of Economic Analysis, SGH
