In the same week that DeepSeek launched its new LLM, Google searches for “AI education” spiked.
“There is a huge cloud skills gap with millions of jobs unfilled,” Jenni Troutman, AWS training and certification director, said for Coursera’s latest Job Skills 2025 report. Troutman’s statement echoes what IBM discovered in a recent study, which revealed that 47% of executives feel their teams lack the necessary AI skills to succeed at work.
Although AI, big data, and cloud skills are critical, and constitute the fastest growing skills of 2025 based on Coursera’s analysis, Troutman urges that the greatest change you need to prepare for is in the tools you use to perform your role.
So it’s no longer sufficient to just learn the basics of generative AI. Particularly if your role is more technical, you need to be proficient in advancing and collaborating with AI-powered tools, which will make your work more innovative and creative. “Staying ahead of the curve by learning and using these tools, whether to boost your current role or help you grow into a new one, is where we all need to be focused,” she continued.
And let’s not forget, careers and skill sets withing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) offer the highest salaries. For example, just obtaining GenAI skills can boost your salary by up to 47%, per Indeed.
To help you direct your upskilling efforts this year so you can understand AI-powered tools (like AI agents and other software) and how to integrate and tailor them effectively for work purposes, here are some highly specific AI courses that will boost your value in the job market. These courses are totally free (and will be marked to what extent if otherwise), and your confidence with GenAI and AI-powered tools will increase while studying.
- Neural Networks, part of ML Concepts by Google for Developers
- Introduction to Computer Vision and Image Processing, by IBM, via Coursera (financial aid is available so you can access the course for free, or almost free)
- Intro to PyTorch and Neural Networks by Codeacademy (certificate at the end is not free and requires a paid subscription)
- Machine Learning crash course, by Google for Developers
- Machine Learning Specialization by Andrew Ng, via Coursera
- Applied Machine Learning in Python, by the University of Michigan, via Coursera
- DeepMind and UCL, Deep Learning Lecture Series 2020, a YouTube playlist by Google DeepMind
The next few list of courses are from IBM SkillsBuild and have just arrived fresh on the platform:
- Explore Text-to-Speech Using Generative AI, by IBM SkillsBuild
- Build Your First Chatbot, by IBM SkillsBuild, by IBM SkillsBuild
- Using Generative AI for Software Development, by IBM SkillsBuild
- IBM Granite Models for Software Development, by IBM SkillsBuild
- Classifying Data Using Open Source LLMs, by IBM SkillsBuild
- Summarizing Data Using IBM Granite, by IBM SkillsBuild
What To Do Next
Now that you’re aware of what courses you can pursue for free, you need to create an AI learning action plan for the year. This action plan, or professional development strategy, should include steps such as:
- Outlining key responsibilities and tasks in your role
- Identifying areas where AI might be able to help you be more effective in your current job
- Mapping out core skills and areas where you need to brush up your AI competency relevant to your job
- Using the list of courses and free resources above to help you figure out where to start
- Setting yourself a deadline to complete the courses you select, and asking a trusted friend, co-worker, or even your manager to hold you accountable and check in on your progress regularly
- Networking with other professionals enthusiastic about AI and ask them how they’re applying their newfound skills to their work
Those who have successful careers are those who adapt to the times and are constantly focused on pushing themselves to learn more and develop new skills. So, which course(s) are you going to start this year?