NTT DATA to Train Over 200K Employees, Develop Experts with New Generative AI Talent Development Framework

NTT DATA, a global digital business and IT services leader, recently announced that a Generative AI (GenAI) Talent Development Framework, which aims to accelerate employee training initiatives, is already underway. The framework is structured as a global standard with multiple levels of GenAI expertise and is designed to help the company rapidly and efficiently cultivate a highly skilled workforce that can help clients derive the greatest value from GenAI technology. This initiative also aligns with the Malaysian government’s objective to stimulate the development of home-grown talent in the fields of AI.

Under the new framework, NTT DATA seeks fundamental GenAI training for all of the company’s approximately 200,000 employees worldwide, certification of at least 15,000 higher-level GenAI practitioners by the end of fiscal year 2024, and doubling that number to 30,000 or more in fiscal year 2026. These GenAI experts will be aligned to advise and support GenAI development and deployments for clients.

Overview of NTT DATA’s New Framework

NTT DATA prioritises the training and development of employees to effectively use GenAI in diverse use cases and to develop offerings and business proposals. The new talent development framework establishes a global standard for GenAI training including standardised evaluation indicators for skillsets as well as a development roadmap and curriculum.

The framework defines four levels of expertise that range from essential knowledge about GenAI technology to highest-level expert leaders who can drive technology innovations and deployments. Additionally, tailored training will be provided based on the roles, skill levels and industry specialisation of consultants, sales people, developers, generative AI users and other roles.

Expertise and Outlook

NTT DATA’s expertise in GenAI leverages NTT Group’s research and development (R&D) investments, which include more than 40 years of continuous AI R&D and ranking number 12 among companies with the most GenAI patents worldwide.** Other strengths include the company’s carefully built ecosystem of partners, global delivery capabilities, and end-to-end expertise that ranges from consultation and strategy development to infrastructure and deployment.

The company adheres to NTT DATA Group’s AI Guidelines and will continue to invest and innovate in GenAI to further transform its clients’ and its own operations. This commitment aligns with NTT DATA’s mission to solve diverse business challenges using advanced information technology to provide new value to society.

Yutaka Sasaki, President and CEO at NTT DATA, said: “With the rapid advancement of Generative AI, talent development has become a social imperative. By utilising the framework we have established, we can efficiently cultivate highly skilled professionals. We are confident that large-scale generative AI talent development will significantly contribute to our customers’ businesses, their outcomes, and ultimately to the broader market.”