Government Spotlight: How the U.S. Air Force is Upskilling Service Members
The U.S. Air Force’s Digital University partners with Coursera to upskill personnel in digital skills and maintain global competitiveness
About Digital University
Scope: Department of Defense-wide digital upskilling initiative
Partners:
Coursera for Government
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Space Force
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Defense and Accounting Service (DFAS)
U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
Joint Warfare Analysis Center (JWAC)
National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC)
Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force (CSAF)
Program objectives:
Centralize and streamline digital skills training across the DoD
Equip personnel with in-demand cybersecurity and IT skills
Improve soft skills crucial for leadership positions
Key skill areas:
Cybersecurity
Information Technology (IT)
Digital literacy and transformation
Critical thinking and communication
Strategic leadership
Impact:
5,000+ learners over eight mission partners
100% utilization rate among enrolled learners
Projected quadrupling of learner numbers
Overview + Challenge
As adversaries continue to adopt and adapt to emerging technologies, the U.S. defense sector must find new ways to upskill its personnel in areas like cybersecurity and IT if it wants to maintain its global competitive advantage. Recent data underscores this urgency: 78% of government leaders recognize they have reached their peak threat level in the last five years, yet only 45% agree they have the tools and people needed to respond to cyber incidents.
System security ranks as a top-ten overall fastest-growing skill in 2024.
The United States Air Force (USAF) recognizes the urgent need to improve its traditional, decentralized training methods if it wants to meet the demands of its increasingly tech-driven operations. This challenge isn’t unique to USAF. According to Coursera’s Job Skills of 2024 Report, while cybersecurity skills are among the fastest growing in demand, there is a global shortfall of more than 3.4 million cybersecurity workers.
James “Guideaux” Crocker, CTO for DAF Compute and Store Branch and a founder of Digital University explains:
Emerging technologies are reshaping the nature of defense. By centralizing our digital skills training, we’re equipping personnel with the skills needed to anticipate, respond to, and overcome technological challenges and threats. This will be critical to the future of global defense.
Cybersecurity skills are in high demand across all sectors, with government learners showing a 77% year-over-year increase in cybersecurity course enrollments from 2022 to 2023.
The Partnership
To address these challenges, the U.S. Air Force took advantage of a government grant to design the first iteration of its Digital University, a centralized, streamlined skills training program employed across the Department of Defense. The program started as a small proof of concept, but its partnership with Coursera in 2021 catalyzed its growth, enhancing the quality of content with top-tier learning sourced from both academia and industry.
Tim Armstrong, Learning & Development Lead at Digital University, notes:
Coursera’s industry partnerships with leaders like Google, IBM, and CompTIA and the skill sets they taught were valuable from the get-go. The quality of the content and user interface is exactly what we were looking to provide for our learners.
The collaboration allows Digital University to offer a mix of Coursera content and custom, organization-specific training. Learners can access a wide range of Coursera capabilities to develop cyber skills, including leveraging high-quality content from prestigious university programs and industry-leading certification programs from companies like Google and IBM.
With Course Builder, Digital University leaders can develop customized course outlines that adhere to federal workforce standards and suggest personalized microlearning for each student. For example, over the last year, Digital University has used Coursera's vast content library to design specific courses in line with the DoD's Cyber Workforce Framework, ensuring compliance with federal sector requirements.
The flexibility of courses and customization options means the program can meet the diverse needs of its expanding user base, which now includes not just the USAF but also the United States Space Force and other federal agencies.
A key feature of the partnership is the ability of USAF to “microsize” the offered training. “Clips from existing Coursera courses were incredibly helpful,” shares Armstrong. “Learners don’t always need to go through a full 16-hour or several-month course. The content has become more modular and quickly accessible.”
The Impact
The USAF’s Digital University and Coursera partnership is transforming digital upskilling across the Department of Defense. In just three years, the program has grown to serve over 5,200 active service members across eight mission partners and has achieved an impressive 100% utilization rate. It now includes the U.S. Space Force, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Defense Logistics Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal agencies.
The program’s success lies in its adaptability and accessibility. By offering microlearning options and customizable content, Digital University has made it easier for busy service members to fit learning into their demanding schedules. This approach has been particularly effective for rapid upskilling in specific areas needed for on-the-job tasks. For example, an intelligence unit in Hawaii needed to learn a particular coding language quickly. Thanks to Digital University’s resources, they acquired this skill and immediately applied it to their mission.
Industry-recognized certifications have become a cornerstone of the program, with Google's Professional Certificates emerging as a particular favorite among learners. This focus on industry-relevant skills improves current job performance and also prepares service members for future career changes.
Digital University is preparing to expand its impact beyond active-duty personnel. The program is exploring ways to support airmen moving to civilian life by offering targeted training through Coursera’s Career Academy. Career Academy allows service members to explore different career paths, earn Professional Certificates from industry leaders, and gain hands-on experience through Guided Projects, to prepare them for in-demand civilian jobs. Through this initiative, the program fulfills its commitment to supporting service members through their entire career journey, from enlistment to post-military careers.
Looking Ahead
As the USAF Digital University program continues to expand, its impact is set to grow exponentially. Program leaders have plans to quadruple learner numbers in the next few months, positioning the program to play an even greater role in shaping the digital capabilities of the U.S. military and partner agencies.
By tracking outcomes and adapting to changing learner needs, Digital University is helping the Department of Defense and Intelligence Communities maintain global competitiveness.
“We’re at a critical point now,” explains Armstrong. “We have an important initiative with the Air Force Career Field Managers, and we’re creating pilot programs that will significantly increase our learner numbers.”
Digital University’s partnership with Coursera positions the U.S. Air Force and its mission partners to meet this demand and ensure service members are equipped with the latest tech skills to maintain the United States’ leading defense position.
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.