Digital Promise and QuantHub Partner to Bring Digital Fluency to Career Pathways

Partnership equips K-12 career pathway programs with AI, data, and cybersecurity skills to prepare learners for every career, not just tech.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Promise and QuantHub today launched a multi-year partnership to embed digital fluency into K-12 career pathway programs nationwide. The initiative addresses a rapid shift in the modern workforce. As The Burning Glass Institute has found, roughly 30% of core workplace skills have changed over the last 10 years, with digital advancements reshaping jobs two-thirds faster than historical norms, a shift already affecting 35 million American workers. Notably, more than 60% of job titles mentioning AI are in non-tech roles, yet most K-12 pathway skills and competencies are focused on tech-focused careers or basic technology literacy.

"When we look at how rapidly the nature of work is changing, we have to ask ourselves if our learning environments are truly keeping pace," said Jean-Claude Brizard, president and CEO of Digital Promise. "This partnership is about creating systemic access. By making digital fluency a foundational element of every learning pathway, we are ensuring students can translate their skills across industries whether they are entering healthcare, trade professions, the technology sector, or starting their own business."

Digital fluency is the ability of learners to understand why, when, and how to apply technology to create new ideas and solve complex problems. Through their partnership, Digital Promise and QuantHub are addressing the gap by integrating digital fluency across workforce domains to equip students pursuing careers from healthcare to skilled trades with the data science, AI, and cybersecurity skills now required in every career across a rapidly evolving workforce.

Together, Digital Promise and QuantHub are building practical data science and AI skills and competencies into pathways programs to support schools, postsecondary institutions, industry, and community organizations to help learners earn market-value credentials that connect directly to local employment opportunities. The partnership will also generate research and proof points on learner outcomes, with plans to scale data, AI and cybersecurity skills into pathway models across the country.

"Data and AI aren't specialized skills anymore, they're the baseline for doing almost any job well," said Joshua Jones, CEO of QuantHub. "The hard part is delivering that at scale. That means giving teachers the training to embed these skills into the courses they already teach, and tying what students learn to credentials employers actually recognize. That's exactly what the partnership with Digital Promise is built to do."

The partnership builds on Digital Promise's Cybersecurity Pathways Initiative, which supports school districts in co-designing credentialed, career-connected programs with higher education, industry, and community partners. In Alabama alone, those programs are now accessible to more than 35,000 students, with graduates pursuing careers in cybersecurity, defense and military, healthcare, hospitality, and skilled trades – proof that digital fluency skills extend well beyond jobs in tech.

"The labor market is evolving swiftly. Every learner needs pathways augmented with future-forward skills, including AI, data science, and cybersecurity. Digital fluency ensures learners earn current, relevant credentials that are the bridge to quality jobs," said Kimberly Smith, chief innovation officer of the Center for Learner Pathway Innovations (CLPI), which will be leading this work at Digital Promise.

QuantHub brings a proven data and AI skills platform in use by leading industry organizations, postsecondary institutions, and K-12 districts nationwide. Fortune 500 employers use it to build AI fluency across their workforces, faculty at more than 100 colleges and universities teach with it, and school districts embed its stackable credentials into career pathways. That work runs deepest in Alabama, where the platform powers statewide data and AI initiatives, the Data Ambassadors program trains teacher leaders to bring these skills into the courses they already teach, and Data Scholars internships connect students to paid, skills-based industry projects.

To learn more about what's next for the partnership, register to join the LinkedIn Live on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST.

About Digital Promise
Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner. We work with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities to design, investigate, and scale innovations that support learners, especially those who've been historically and systematically excluded. Our vision is that every person engages in powerful learning experiences that lead to a life of well-being, fulfillment, and economic mobility. For more information, visit digitalpromise.org and follow @digitalpromise for updates.

About QuantHub
QuantHub is a data and AI skills company focused on building digital agility in every learner. Its platform is in use across K-12, higher education, and industry, supporting partnerships with school districts, postsecondary institutions, and leading industry organizations nationwide. Programs include Data Ambassadors, a teacher leadership program, and Data Scholars, a student internship initiative. For more information, visit quanthub.com and follow QuantHub on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Digital Promise