And What You Can Learn From Them
In a world of relentless disruption — from AI to automation to shifting employee expectations — the companies that thrive aren't just hiring smarter. They're building from within.
Upskilling has emerged as a defining strategy for future-ready organizations. It's how you keep top performers engaged, reduce turnover, and ensure your workforce evolves as quickly as your industry does.
But not all upskilling programs are created equal.
In this guide, we’ve selected ten of the most effective, creative, and impactful upskilling initiatives from some of the world’s leading brands. These aren’t just feel-good benefits — they’re serious business strategies that are closing skill gaps, unlocking internal mobility, and building talent pipelines at scale.
If you’re looking to benchmark your own efforts or find inspiration for a new initiative, these examples show what’s possible when upskilling is treated as a core part of your culture — not an afterthought.
What Is a Corporate Employee Upskilling Program?
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and shifting market demands, organizations must prioritize continuous learning to remain competitive. A corporate upskilling program is a structured initiative designed to enhance employees' existing skills, enabling them to perform their current roles more effectively and prepare for future responsibilities.
Upskilling vs Reskilling Programs:
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- Upskilling involves improving employees' current skill sets to increase proficiency in their existing roles. For instance, a marketing professional learning advanced data analytics to better interpret campaign results.
- Reskilling, on the other hand, entails training employees to take on entirely new roles within the organization. An example would be a customer service representative learning software development to transition into a tech role.
Both strategies are crucial for organizational agility. Upskilling ensures that employees evolve alongside their roles, while reskilling allows organizations to adapt to changing business needs by redeploying talent effectively.
The Importance:
Implementing robust upskilling programs offers several benefits:
- Enhanced Employee Retention: Employees are more likely to stay with organizations that invest in their professional growth.
- Increased Productivity: Skilled employees perform tasks more efficiently and contribute to innovation.
- Competitive Advantage: Organizations with a culture of continuous learning can adapt more readily to industry changes.
By fostering a learning-centric environment, companies not only empower their workforce but also drive sustainable growth and resilience.
Examples of Upskilling and Reskilling Programs
Understanding the difference between upskilling and reskilling is just the first step. The next is execution — and that’s where these companies stand out.
From accredited education programs and digital learning academies to peer-led training and frontline career mobility, the following examples illustrate how leading organizations are putting these strategies into action.
Some initiatives are focused on enhancing existing capabilities (upskilling); others help employees transition into entirely new roles (reskilling). Many combine both — supported by platforms like Coursera for Business, LinkedIn Learning, Guild Education, and BiskAmplified, which helps enterprises offer accredited degree and certificate programs aligned to internal talent strategies.
Each example highlights how upskilling and reskilling can drive measurable impact — for employees and for the business.
10 Corporate Upskilling and Reskilling Programs You Can Learn From
1. Amazon – Upskilling 2025: Redefining Internal Mobility at Scale
Amazon’s Upskilling 2025 is arguably one of the most ambitious corporate upskilling initiatives in the world — a $1.2 billion investment aimed at training 300,000 employees for future-ready roles. What makes it stand out isn’t just its scale, but its focus on preparing frontline and non-technical workers for in-demand, high-growth careers.
Program Highlights:
- Career Choice: Pays 100% of tuition and fees in advance for programs in fields like cloud computing, healthcare, and transportation. Notably, Amazon partners with local and national schools so employees can access training near fulfillment centers.
- Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship: A 12-week classroom and 2,000-hour on-the-job training program that preps employees for technical maintenance roles.
- Machine Learning University (MLU): Offers advanced ML courses taught by Amazon engineers — open to employees with engineering backgrounds to deepen AI skills.
What Sets It Apart:
- Amazon doesn’t expect employees to stay in their current roles. In fact, the goal is to move them into entirely new ones — even if it means leaving their current department.
- Career Choice is focused not just on corporate advancement but on helping warehouse and hourly workers leap into sectors they might otherwise never access.
- Amazon also tracks success metrics: participation rates, job placement outcomes, and regional program performance.
Takeaway for Employers: Upskilling works best when it's personalized, locally accessible, and tied to real economic mobility. Amazon proves that even massive organizations can design training that’s human-centered — and career-changing. Learn more about Amazon’s Upskilling 2025 initiative or explore how its Career Choice program is redefining frontline advancement.
2. IBM – Digital Badging & Skills Framework: Building a Culture of Credibility
IBM has long been a pioneer in workforce development, but its digital badging and internal skills frameworks have redefined what enterprise upskilling looks like. Rather than relying solely on degrees or static training modules, IBM has built a system that continuously maps evolving roles to evolving skills — and rewards learning with verifiable, industry-recognized credentials.
Program Highlights:
- IBM Digital Badges: More than 3 million badges have been issued since launch, spanning areas such as AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, and leadership. Badges are stackable and transparent, allowing both internal teams and external recruiters to recognize what a learner knows.
- Your Learning Platform: IBM employees access a curated, AI-driven platform that personalizes training content and learning paths based on job function, aspirations, and skill gaps.
- Skills Mapping: IBM has reclassified over 3,000 job roles by core competencies instead of job titles — enabling dynamic talent deployment and internal mobility.
What Sets It Apart:
- IBM’s system doesn’t just track what employees learn — it integrates why that learning matters to the business.
- Digital badges serve both as learning motivators and portable, shareable proof of expertise (on LinkedIn or resumes).
- The company has extended this ecosystem beyond its workforce, sharing its framework with academic institutions and industry partners.
Takeaway for Employers: Recognition is a powerful motivator — and credibility matters. By tying learning directly to visible, stackable credentials, IBM transforms training from a checkbox to a competitive asset. Explore how IBM’s digital badging program is shaping the future of internal mobility and skills-based hiring.
3. Walmart – Live Better U: Making Education a Frontline Benefit
Walmart’s Live Better U program is one of the most ambitious corporate education benefits ever launched — not just because it’s free, but because it’s laser-focused on accessibility for hourly and frontline employees. By covering 100% of tuition and books for degrees and certificates, Walmart is turning learning into a core part of its value proposition for millions of workers.
Program Highlights:
- Tuition-Free Access: Associates can earn college degrees, high school diplomas, or trade certifications with no out-of-pocket costs.
- Diverse Offerings: Programs span business, supply chain, cybersecurity, healthcare, and skilled trades — all aligned with both corporate needs and market demand.
- Powered by Guild Education: Walmart partners with universities and training providers through Guild’s platform, ensuring content is flexible, modern, and career-relevant.
What Sets It Apart:
- The program is fully employer-funded — not reimbursed — removing a major barrier for low-income workers.
- Employees are eligible after just 90 days on the job, increasing early retention and loyalty.
- Learning is tied to real advancement. Walmart data shows participants are promoted at faster rates and stay with the company longer.
Takeaway for Employers: Upskilling isn’t just a white-collar perk. Walmart proves that frontline workers — often overlooked in corporate L&D — are eager to grow when given meaningful, accessible opportunities. Learn more about Live Better U and how it’s transforming frontline education into career mobility.
4. Heineken – Reverse Mentoring: Upskilling Through Generational Exchange
Heineken takes a unique approach to upskilling with its reverse mentoring program — where the teachers are junior employees and the students are senior leaders. It’s not about technical certification or formal coursework; it’s about shifting perspectives, closing generational gaps, and fast-tracking digital literacy at the executive level.
Program Highlights:
- Cross-Generational Pairing: Young employees are matched with senior leaders, often C-level or director-level, for structured, ongoing mentorship sessions.
- Digital and Cultural Fluency: Topics include everything from social media trends and collaboration tools to DEI, workplace expectations, and Gen Z culture.
- Global Rollout: The program started as a regional pilot and has since been expanded across multiple business units and countries.
What Sets It Apart:
- The learning flows upward — helping leaders unlearn outdated assumptions and stay relevant in a fast-changing workforce.
- The program deepens employee engagement by giving junior staff visibility and voice.
- It promotes not just skill development, but empathy — a crucial ingredient for inclusive leadership and cultural change.
Takeaway for Employers: Not all upskilling is top-down. Sometimes, your most valuable learning resources are already in the building — and they’re newer, younger, and closer to emerging trends than you are. See how Heineken’s reverse mentoring model is reframing leadership development and cultural agility.
"As an industry, we must be clear on the criteria required for assignments and advancement. The more transparent that those decisions can be made, the less negative impact we are likely to see on feelings of fairness and recognition. We also know through efforts like reverse mentorship that perspective and expertise can be imparted from employees at all levels, helping to further develop talent and mitigate potential age-related biases."
– Maggie Timoney | CEO, Heineken USA
5. Accenture – Apprenticeship Program: Redefining Pathways Into Tech
Accenture is proving that the future of talent doesn’t need to come with a four-year degree. Through its U.S. apprenticeship program — now a permanent hiring track — the consulting and tech giant is bringing nontraditional candidates into highly skilled roles, often from underserved or underrepresented communities.
Program Highlights:
- No Degree Required: Apprentices are hired based on potential, not credentials, and trained in areas like cybersecurity, software engineering, data analytics, and cloud services.
- Structured Learning: Participants complete a 12-month blended learning experience that combines classroom instruction with on-the-job coaching and client-facing work.
- High Retention: Over 80% of apprentices convert to full-time roles after program completion, often with continued upskilling through internal certification tracks.
What Sets It Apart:
- The program deliberately targets overlooked talent pools — community college students, veterans, mid-career changers — and offers real economic mobility.
- It’s not just CSR; apprenticeships are fully integrated into Accenture’s talent pipeline. The company has pledged that 20% of its entry-level hires in the U.S. will come from its apprenticeship pathway.
- Accenture also helps other companies adopt similar models through the Apprenticeship Network, scaling the concept across industries.
“Apprenticeship required us to rethink our talent strategy—it has to be embedded in what you do, the way you recruit, the way you train—embedded in your business.”
– Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer, Accenture
Takeaway for Employers: If your entry-level roles still require a college degree by default, you’re excluding a vast pool of potential. Accenture shows that investing in potential — and building training in-house — can deliver loyal, diverse, high-performing teams. Learn more about Accenture’s apprenticeship program and its impact on workforce inclusion.
6. Google – Career Certificates: Credentialing the Self-Taught Generation
In response to the growing gap between traditional education and in-demand skills, Google launched its Career Certificates program — a self-paced, low-cost training initiative designed to help anyone build job-ready capabilities in under six months, no college degree required.
Program Highlights:
- Focused Tracks: Courses cover fields like IT Support, Data Analytics, UX Design, Project Management, and Digital Marketing — all aligned to real job openings at Google and other top employers.
- Accessibility: The entire program is hosted on Coursera, costs around $39/month, and offers need-based financial assistance.
- Employer Consortium: Google partners with over 150 companies that consider the certificate a valid credential when hiring, including Deloitte, Infosys, and Target.
What Sets It Apart:
- The certificates are designed by Google engineers and practitioners, ensuring curriculum is up-to-date and relevant to real-world roles.
- While available to the public, the program is also offered internally at Google as part of employee development, particularly for non-technical staff seeking to transition into tech roles.
- The initiative is global, with language and regional adaptations expanding its reach to learners in emerging markets.
Takeaway for Employers: Google’s program proves that effective upskilling doesn’t have to be expensive or exclusive. What matters is relevance, flexibility, and a clear path from learning to earning. Discover how Google Career Certificates are shaping a new model for skills-based hiring.
7. Microsoft – Global Skills Initiative: Closing the Digital Divide at Scale
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft launched the Global Skills Initiative — a worldwide effort to help 25 million people acquire digital skills needed for jobs in a rapidly changing economy. Unlike many corporate L&D programs focused on internal talent, Microsoft’s initiative spans borders and industries, targeting the global workforce.
Program Highlights:
- Free Access to Learning Paths: Through LinkedIn Learning, GitHub, and Microsoft Learn, the program offers curated, role-based training in fields like software development, data analysis, and IT administration.
- Certification Support: Learners can access discounted Microsoft certifications — boosting employability with verified credentials.
- Localized Implementation: The initiative includes tailored partnerships with nonprofits and governments in over 190 countries, focusing on underserved communities.
What Sets It Apart:
- Microsoft is addressing not just skill gaps, but opportunity gaps — helping those who have been displaced, underemployed, or digitally excluded.
- The content is highly structured: skills are aligned to actual job roles, and learning progressions guide users from foundational to advanced levels.
- Internally, Microsoft also offers continuous digital upskilling for its own employees, fostering a culture of lifelong learning that mirrors its public efforts.
Takeaway for Employers: Upskilling at scale isn’t just about investing in your employees — it’s about strengthening the entire talent ecosystem. Microsoft’s Global Skills Initiative is a blueprint for combining open access, clear pathways, and cross-sector collaboration to create sustainable workforce impact.
8. Salesforce – Trailhead: Democratizing Tech Learning With Gamification
Salesforce’s Trailhead platform is one of the best examples of how to gamify upskilling without sacrificing rigor. Designed as a self-serve, interactive learning hub, Trailhead enables anyone — inside or outside of Salesforce — to develop tech and business skills tied to real Salesforce roles and certifications.
Program Highlights:
- Modular Learning: Users complete “trails” on topics like CRM, coding, AI, and leadership — earning badges, points, and ranks as they progress.
- Career Paths: Trailhead offers curated paths for becoming a Salesforce Administrator, Developer, Consultant, and more — with job outcomes attached.
- Integrated with Hiring: Trailblazer Connect helps learners get noticed by hiring managers, and Salesforce uses badges internally for performance and promotion pathways.
What Sets It Apart:
- Gamification isn’t just a gimmick — it drives engagement and long-term habit-building. Users stay active, return frequently, and challenge themselves.
- The platform is public-facing, but also fully integrated into Salesforce’s internal L&D and onboarding systems.
- It supports equity in tech by offering free, flexible, and accessible training to underrepresented learners globally.
Takeaway for Employers: Trailhead shows how upskilling can be both serious and fun — and how community, visibility, and clear progression paths turn learning into a growth engine. Explore Salesforce Trailhead to see how it’s building the next generation of cloud talent.
9. Henkel – Digital Upskilling: Transforming the Workforce from Within
Henkel, a global leader in consumer goods and industrial solutions, partnered with Accenture to launch a company-wide digital upskilling initiative — a proactive strategy to future-proof its workforce amid digital transformation.
Program Highlights:
- Customized Learning Journeys: Employees receive role-specific learning pathways based on their job family and current skill level, from supply chain to marketing and IT.
- Multi-Modal Learning: The program blends e-learning modules, virtual workshops, and real-world application through digital projects.
- Change Management: Henkel embedded upskilling into a broader digital culture transformation effort, including manager training and internal communications campaigns.
What Sets It Apart:
- The initiative isn’t a bolt-on — it’s part of Henkel’s business and digital strategy. Learning supports transformation at every layer.
- It was rolled out globally in phases, ensuring consistency while allowing for local adaptation.
- Henkel measures outcomes in terms of adoption of digital tools, increased efficiency, and employee confidence — not just course completions.
“Lifelong learning has become part of our culture at Henkel. It is motivating and gives our teams the confidence to grow together.”
– Lucas Kohlmann / Director, Human Resources, Henkel
Takeaway for Employers: Upskilling doesn’t succeed in isolation. Henkel’s example shows how to embed capability building within broader business change — ensuring employees aren’t just trained, but transformed. Learn more about Henkel’s digital upskilling partnership with Accenture and how it scaled globally.
10. PepsiCo – Career Growth Framework: Advancing Frontline Talent
PepsiCo has taken a deliberate, equity-driven approach to upskilling by focusing on career mobility for frontline workers. Through its PepsiCo Career Growth Framework, the company is rethinking how learning, coaching, and advancement opportunities are structured across its operations workforce.
Program Highlights:
- Skills-Based Learning: The framework outlines specific, transparent skills tied to progression between frontline roles — from production to maintenance to team leadership.
- Education and Coaching Support: Employees gain access to coaching, skills assessments, and external education benefits to bridge identified gaps.
- Internal Talent Marketplace: PepsiCo uses talent intelligence platforms to help employees discover open roles that match their skills — and identifies training to get them qualified.
What Sets It Apart:
- It focuses squarely on internal mobility — recognizing that many frontline workers already have what it takes to grow, if given the tools and structure.
- The initiative is informed by behavioral data and frontline input, not top-down assumptions.
- It’s tied to broader goals around inclusion and retention, especially for underrepresented and underserved employee populations.
“Everyone has a different ‘why’ that motivates them to learn.. We offer a portfolio that meets both employee and business needs. There is something for everyone.”
– Molly Nagler, Chief Learning Officer @ PepsiCo
Takeaway for Employers: Upskilling isn’t just about high-tech skills or office jobs. PepsiCo proves that a thoughtful, structured approach to frontline development can unlock hidden potential — and build stronger loyalty in the process. Explore how PepsiCo’s career mobility model supports upward mobility and workforce equity.
Conclusion: Upskilling Is the New Retention Strategy
These ten organizations — spanning tech giants, retailers, manufacturers, and consumer brands — aren’t just offering training. They’re investing in people. They’re closing skill gaps, boosting retention, and building internal pipelines that reduce dependence on external hiring.
What unites them isn’t a single method or platform. It’s mindset.
They view upskilling not as a perk, but as a strategic imperative — tied to real roles, real advancement, and real business outcomes. Whether it’s Amazon’s warehouse-to-cloud pathway, IBM’s portable credentials, or Walmart’s tuition-free frontline education, the message is clear: when you invest in your workforce, they invest back.
The companies winning in this era of rapid change aren’t those with the biggest budgets. They’re the ones building learning cultures, systems, and structures that scale — and that meet employees where they are.
If you haven’t yet made upskilling a cornerstone of your talent strategy, the time to start is now.
