US technology company Intel and Ireland’s Fastrack into Information Technology (FIT) have launched the AI for Future Workforce Programme, including a dedicated AI Lab, giving HR and L&D teams in Ireland a new source of certified AI training for jobseekers, learners and employees.

Intel is a US technology company whose Digital Readiness programme is a global public-private partnership developed with governments, educational institutions and industry partners, and has established more than 100 partnerships.

FIT is a nonprofit representative organisation for Ireland’s technology sector, led by Peter Davitt, chief executive, which launched its AI Training Centre of Excellence in August 2026.

The strategic logic builds on an existing relationship: Intel and FIT previously collaborated on an advanced manufacturing skills programme, and FIT will now use Intel’s global Digital Readiness resources to develop and deliver fully certified AI training programmes.

The AI Lab is FIT’s first dedicated physical training space for a programme, equipped with computers, servers and the computing resources needed for experimentation, testing, development and analysis.

Peter Davitt, CEO of FIT, said: “The creation of FIT’s first dedicated physical AI training space is an important step forward in how we deliver these skills.”

Naoise Ó Cearúil TD said: “The rapid development of artificial intelligence presents significant opportunities for Ireland, but realising those opportunities depends on ensuring that people have the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to engage with the technology.”

The structural driver is a phased rollout: FIT will coordinate facilitator training, programme planning and certified learning pathways, then run pilots with selected colleges and partners before expanding across additional Education and Training Boards, partner colleges and employer-led initiatives.

Feedback from learners, colleges and employers will be used to refine the learning pathways as technologies, curricula and workforce requirements evolve.

The launch follows FIT’s October commitment to upskill 400,000 people in AI by 2030, with FIT citing Accenture research that 64% of Ireland’s workforce needs reskilling.

For the sector, the partnership shows a technology company pairing global training resources with a national training network and physical lab infrastructure to widen access to certified AI skills.

Source: Business World / Irish Tech News / TechCentral.ie