Kyndryl Foundation has announced its second-year grants, awarding funding to 12 nonprofit organizations across 11 countries to support AI and cybersecurity skills development, workforce training, and job placement initiatives. This expansion is expected to impact over 55,000 individuals over the next two years, reinforcing the Foundation’s commitment to addressing the global shortage of AI and cybersecurity professionals.
Building on the success of its inaugural year, Kyndryl Foundation has expanded its reach to five additional countries — Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Spain, and the United Kingdom — while continuing to support existing programs in the Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Japan, Poland, and the United States. To deepen its impact, the Foundation has introduced multi-year grants, allowing organizations to implement long-term, sustainable initiatives that bridge the talent gap in AI and cybersecurity.
Una Pulizzi, President of Kyndryl Foundation and Kyndryl’s Global Head of Corporate Affairs, emphasized the organization’s mission to strengthen the global technology workforce. She stated that with AI adoption accelerating and cybersecurity threats intensifying, there is an urgent need to build a pipeline of skilled professionals. She highlighted that by investing in nonprofit partners focused on education, training, and job readiness, Kyndryl Foundation aims to equip individuals with critical skills that will drive innovation and protect digital infrastructure.
The multi-year grantees include Czechitas in the Czech Republic, which will train 100 women in cybersecurity and provide cyber awareness programs for 50,000 individuals, and India’s Data Security Council, which will offer cybersecurity training for women in tier-two and tier-three cities while establishing a training center in Mumbai. In the U.S., Girl Security will expand its Workforce Training Program, preparing over 1,000 participants for cybersecurity careers by 2026. Japan’s NPO Sodateage Net will focus on youth employment by training 1,500 young individuals in cybersecurity and connecting them with internship opportunities.
Single-year grants have been awarded to organizations including Fundación Cibervoluntarios in Spain, which will extend its cybersecurity skilling program to 5,000 young people, and Junior Achievement Americas, which will support 400 women in Brazil and Costa Rica through its She is Digital program. Other initiatives will provide cybersecurity training for Indigenous communities in Canada, formerly incarcerated individuals in the U.S., and women returning to the workforce in Poland.
The Kyndryl Readiness Report highlights that cyberattacks remain the top challenge for organizations worldwide, with 64% of leaders citing a lack of AI skills as a major barrier to implementation. Kyndryl Foundation’s latest investment in AI and cybersecurity education seeks to address these challenges by fostering a new generation of skilled professionals.
