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FRANCE-US-TECHNOLOGY
Facebook to train 65,000 in French job schemes
PARIS, Jan 22, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Facebook said Monday that it will train
65,000 French people in digital skills in free schemes to help women set up
businesses and the long-term unemployed get back to work.
The internet giant also announced that it will pour an additional 10
million euros ($12.2 million) into artificial intelligence in France by 2022,
without saying how much it will invest in the training schemes.
The US social network will work with 50,000 jobseekers in a partnership
with the national unemployment agency, helping them with their computer
skills, until late 2019, a company statement said.
At the same time it will work with 15,000 French women hoping to start
their own companies, in an expansion of the She Means Business campaign
already present in several countries.
That scheme will give 3,500 women intensive free computer training across
various French cities, with another 11,500 women given access to an online
course.
“These initiatives are part of a pan-European programme, with Facebook
hoping to train a million people and business founders by 2020,” the internet
giant said.
Its artificial intelligence investment will meanwhile allow Facebook to
double the number of researchers at its AI hub in Paris — one of four
worldwide — to 60.
“Facebook wants to play a key role in France’s ambition to become the
international champion of AI,” the social network said.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0818 hrs