Back-to-school season is a reminder that learning is a lifelong process, especially as AI reshapes how people create, communicate and work. Creative fluency and AI literacy are becoming increasingly important — in the U.S., recent Adobe research found that 73 percent of Gen Z students and hiring managers say creative and visual skills are now expected in the workplace.
Expanding access to the skills needed to participate in an AI-powered economy is critical to unlocking opportunity. That vision is the core of Adobe Digital Academy: empowering people everywhere with the creative, digital and AI skills they need to thrive in today's economy. We believe AI should amplify talent, not replace it — and that starts with equipping people with the skills to harness its potential.
So far this year, we’ve made great strides toward our goal of reaching 30 million learners globally by 2030. We’ve surpassed 3 million learners this year alone, and we continue to grow and scale our impact by partnering with nonprofits and leading online learning platforms to bring free skills, education, resources and tools directly to learners around the world. Behind every number is a person investing in their future — whether they’re exploring generative AI for the first time, building a digital portfolio or pursuing a new career path.
Here are a few of the ways we're expanding access to creative, digital and AI skills around the world.
Scaling global impact through strategic partnerships
Strategic partnerships are the cornerstone of how we scale access and meet people where they are. By collaborating with world-class organizations, nonprofits and educational platforms, we can tailor our curriculum to local needs and build clear pathways to real-world opportunities.
A prime example of this collaborative model is our expanded global partnership with UNICEF. Building on our work together over the past year supporting young learners through UNICEF's Generation Unlimited (GenU), we’ve helped nearly 400,000 young people in India access creative and AI-enabled digital skills, with more than 375,000 completing Adobe’s Design Fundamentals with AI course. Together, we’ve integrated this learning into existing education and skilling systems, helping expand access for young people from underserved communities.
Adobe is proud to now serve as the inaugural partner of Generation Unlimited's new Creative Academy, expanding our work with UNICEF.
Together, Adobe and UNICEF’s GenU are working to close the creative economy skills gap and prepare young people for a digital-first future. Through this partnership, we’re leveraging our collective expertise to adapt Adobe Digital Academy curriculum to local contexts and market needs, equipping young people with in-demand digital and AI-augmented creative skills.
With an initial focus on dedicated programs in India and Brazil, the initiative is designed to open pathways to employment and entrepreneurship. By combining job-relevant skills training with market alignment, we’re helping young people build creative confidence, access sustainable livelihoods and thrive in the modern workforce.
“Young people everywhere are already creating, solving problems, telling stories, imagining futures for themselves and their communities. What too many lack is the bridge from that talent to a livelihood," said Nadi Albino, Acting CEO, UNICEF Generation Unlimited. "With Adobe as the inaugural partner to Generation Unlimited's Creative Academy, we are building that bridge: pairing creative and AI skills to work, to earn, to build a venture. Because young people should not simply enter the creative economy. They should shape it and design a future on their own terms."
Another partnership example is our work in India, where Adobe is also partnering with state governments across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Assam, Bihar and Tamil Nadu to bring digital creativity and AI skills into thousands of government schools. The initiative expands Adobe’s K–12 reach in India to nearly 8 million students and teachers nationwide, providing access to Adobe Express for Education alongside Adobe Digital Academy curriculum focused on creative problem-solving, digital storytelling and AI-assisted content creation. By equipping both students and teachers with future-ready skills and tools, we’re helping integrate digital creativity into everyday learning and prepare the next generation for opportunities in India’s growing creative and digital economy.
Scaling access also means giving people more ways to learn wherever they are. Adobe Digital Academy coursework is available across Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, YouTube and now IBM SkillsBuild, giving learners more ways to build relevant skills at their own pace and on platforms that work for them.
Through IBM SkillsBuild, learners can access Adobe Digital Academy content through either self-paced courses or Guided Learning Experiences (GLEs). Self-paced courses offer the flexibility to learn independently on your own schedule, while GLEs provide a structured, six-week cohort experience with facilitator support, peer interaction, and hands-on activities. Both pathways enable learners to build career-relevant skills and earn digital credentials.
Expanding access to creativity in Saudi Arabia
That same approach — pairing access to skills with the technology to apply them — is taking shape in Saudi Arabia. At LEAP 2026, Adobe announced an expanded partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and HUMAIN to advance the Kingdom’s creative sector. As part of the partnership, Adobe is committing more than $4 billion in access to AI-powered creative tools for over 27 million eligible Saudi citizens and residents, with plans to provide 12 months of free access to Adobe Firefly Standard plus Adobe Express Premium features. Adobe and MCIT Future Skills are also working to upskill people across the Kingdom through free, practical Adobe Digital Academy courses — combining access to creative technology with opportunities to build the skills to put it to work.
Learn what’s next, on your terms
Wherever people are in their learning journeys, there are more ways than ever to build skills that align with their goals. From AI-powered creativity to digital marketing and content creation, we’re continuing to expand Adobe Digital Academy’s curriculum to reflect the skills today’s job market demands most.
As the workforce evolves, that includes helping people keep pace with how AI is reshaping specific roles and functions. One example is AI Essentials for Marketers, a joint global initiative with LinkedIn. With LinkedIn Economic Graph data showing that marketing job postings requiring AI literacy have increased 113 percent year-over-year, the program offers free, short-form LinkedIn Learning courses in 47 languages covering digital marketing, content creation, social media and data analytics. Learners can build practical AI literacy, explore agentic workflows and earn shareable certifications that demonstrate their skills.
Building new skills is one of the most powerful investments people and organizations can make in what comes next. Whether exploring a new career path, adding new capabilities or simply discovering where creativity can lead, there are more ways than ever for people to keep learning, creating and growing.
Disclaimer: UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
