Pearson and Salesforce Expand Partnership to Accelerate Workforce AI Readiness

Pearson will provide role insights, identify skills gaps, and deliver targeted learning for Salesforce employees

HOBOKEN, N.J., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearson (FTSE: PSON.L) and Salesforce today announced an expanded strategic partnership aimed at accelerating AI readiness and skills development across Salesforce's global workforce.

The multi-year collaboration creates an AI-powered approach to workforce development by connecting Salesforce's leading CRM technologies with Pearson's expertise in skills intelligence, assessment, and learning design. This partnership will help Salesforce anticipate emerging role needs, build critical capabilities at scale, and validate skills across its organization.

Advancing AI-era Skill Development  

The two organizations have a longstanding relationship grounded in elevating skills and agentic AI at scale. Salesforce technologies, including Agentforce, already strengthen the insight and delivery behind Pearson customer service solutions. At the same time, Pearson Professional Assessments serves as Salesforce's sole global exam provider, delivering a diverse catalog of 80 Salesforce certifications.   

Through this expanded collaboration, Pearson's Faethm, Credly, and assessment capabilities will help Salesforce: 

• Anticipate emerging skill needs across the workforce with predictive, role-level insights. 
• Build capability at scale through targeted assessments, upskilling, and training. 
• Validate skills with industry-recognized credentials and certifications. 

"AI is reshaping how we work faster than most organizations can reskill their people, creating a growing gap that impacts productivity and performance," said Vishaal Gupta, President of Enterprise Learning and Skills at Pearson. "Our research shows that productivity gains come when learning keeps pace with AI adoption, building the skills, confidence and trust people need to work effectively alongside it. Through our expanded partnership with Salesforce, organizations can embed learning directly into the flow of work, turning skills development into a strategic capability that evolves with the business and drives sustainable growth."

From Long Standing Customer to Enterprise Value Partner 

For more than 25 years, Pearson has relied on Salesforce to enhance its business processes. Employees across Pearson use Salesforce each day to work more efficiently, supported by integrated capabilities across Agentforce Sales, Agentforce Service, Agentforce Marketing, and Agentforce Data. With this new agreement, Pearson moves from a longtime customer to an enterprise value partner to the world's #1 AI CRM.   

"The pace of AI transformation is rewriting what it means to be workforce-ready, and it's rewriting it fast. Our partnership with Pearson gives us a more connected way to anticipate where our people need to grow, build those capabilities at scale, and validate them with credentials that matter. This is how you build a workforce that doesn't just keep up with change. It leads it," said Shannon Wasiolek, SVP & Head of Global Field Readiness, Salesforce.

In an environment where the pace of technological change is outstripping the pace of learning, the urgency for skill development continues to increase. Pearson's Mind the AI Learning Gap research shows that human–AI collaboration could add up to $6.6 trillion to the U.S. economy by 2034, but only if workers can upskill quickly enough to keep up with emerging technologies. This imperative is echoed by Salesforce, which reports that entry level roles are rapidly transforming in the age of AI.

This collaboration reflects Pearson's commitment to helping people realize the life they imagine through learning and reinforces the company's role as a trusted partner to global employers navigating AI-driven transformation.

Recent Pearson News 

• Employers Use IT Certification to Close High Risk Skills Gaps and Gain Competitive Advantage, Pearson Study Finds 
• AI Won't Lift Human Productivity Without Learning, New Pearson Research Finds
• Pearson Launches AI‑Powered Communication Coach 
• Pearson Becomes Exclusive Provider of Salesforce Certification Exams 

About Pearson 

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That's why our c. 18,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world's lifelong learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. Visit us at pearsonplc.com. 

About Salesforce

Salesforce helps organizations of any size become agentic enterprises — integrating humans, agents, apps, and data on a trusted, unified platform to unlock unprecedented growth and innovation. Visit www.salesforce.com for more information.

Media Contacts:

[email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE Pearson