Cognizant is stepping up its investment in the US workforce as it prepares employees and new graduates for jobs emerging in the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven economy. The technology services company plans to hire 1,500 US college graduates in 2026 and expand two newly created AI-focused job categories to a combined 15,000 employees.
The company is scaling its Frontier Certified Engineer and Frontier Business Operator roles, which are designed around the changing requirements of AI-enabled work. Cognizant said the roles will be supported by direct hiring from universities, creating pathways for graduates to enter jobs linked to AI development, implementation and business operations.
The company is drawing on partnerships with universities including the University of Georgia, Arizona State University and the University of Kentucky to support its graduate hiring. It is also a national programme sponsor of registered apprenticeships with the US Department of Labor.
Cognizant said the new roles are already being used in business operations. In one recent deployment, a team of Frontier Certified Engineers and Frontier Business Operators redesigned the account-management workflow of a large food-service company using 17 production AI agents. The initiative reportedly helped reclaim around 11 hours of work per account manager each week.
The company is also expanding the AI skills available to its workforce through certifications and partnerships with leading AI technology providers. Cognizant has more than 15,000 Claude certifications and 5,000 Codex certifications, while its partnership with Google Cloud is being expanded around its Frontier Certified Engineer programme.
The workforce push extends beyond Cognizant’s own employees. The company has joined RAISE US, a bipartisan national coalition focused on helping American workers transition into the AI economy. The coalition aims to mobilise $1 billion for worker retraining, redeployment incentives and earn-and-learn pathways, with partnerships involving several US states.
Cognizant is also expanding its global skilling programme, Synapse. After surpassing its original target of training one million people a year ahead of schedule, the company has doubled its ambition and now aims to train two million people by 2030.
The company has also invested $70 million in philanthropic grants since 2018 to expand access to STEM education and technology careers. It has partnered with Pearson and the Association of Community College Trustees on workforce development initiatives.
Cognizant’s workforce investments come as AI adoption continues to reshape job roles and the skills required across industries. Research cited by the company estimates that AI could unlock $4.5 trillion in US labour productivity and generate an additional $1 trillion in economic value over the next decade.
