The Big Picture:

Venture for Canada’s AI at Work is a new free workshop series that teaches practical AI skills to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) through virtual and in-person sessions. Among Canadian businesses already using AI, fewer than one in four of the smallest have trained their employees on it, compared to nearly 70% of large firms. Yet small businesses make up 98% of Canadian employers and SMEs employ nearly two-thirds of private sector workers. Understanding how to use AI effectively and responsibly is important in helping SMEs stay competitive, scale their business, solve operational challenges, and support the next generation of talent. VFC’s AI at Work will equip them with the guidance, skills, and confidence they need to achieve these goals.

Toronto, ON. November 13, 2026 — Venture for Canada, the first national nonprofit in Canada to be part of the Claude Partner Network, is launching AI at Work, a new national workshop series where we deliver practical, responsible AI training for Canadian small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) as a Approved Claude SMB Trainer.. These free hands-on workshops are designed to make practical AI training accessible to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) across the country.

“AI is reshaping the future of work faster than most small businesses can keep up with,” said Steven Wang, CEO of Venture for Canada. “The students and recent graduates working with our employer partners are already using AI every day. These workshops help employers build that same fluency, so they can put AI to work on the challenges they’re facing today and turn internships and student projects into real pathways for innovation.”

Closing the AI skill gap for Canadian SMEs

AI is quickly becoming a key part of how Canadian businesses build, operate, and compete. According to Statistics Canada, 19.2% of businesses used AI to produce goods or deliver services in the past year, most commonly for data analytics, text analysis, and customer-facing chatbots. But SMEs, which make up more than 98% of Canadian employers and employ nearly two-thirds of private sector workers, risk being left behind. Of the businesses already using AI, fewer than 25% of the smallest businesses have trained their employees, compared to nearly 70% of large firms.

Closing that gap matters for both SMEs and Canada’s economy at large. Research from Statistics Canada and ISED (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) shows that AI’s benefits depend on the skills and capabilities of businesses and their teams, not just the tools themselves. Canadian SMEs need the skills, confidence, and judgment to adopt AI effectively and responsibly, regardless of their industry, size, resources, or location.

“Big companies are already investing heavily in AI training while most small businesses aren’t,” Wang added. “That gap matters because SMEs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. This workshop series is our way of opening doors for the businesses that need them most.”

Meanwhile, the next generation of talent is already prepared: 84% of Canadian postsecondary students have already used or experimented with generative AI tools. For employers hiring interns and student teams through Venture for Canada’s Internship and Intrapreneurship programs, building AI fluency on their own side means they can put that talent to work on real business challenges from day one.

In leading these workshops, Venture for Canada aims to help Canadian businesses build the capabilities necessary to improve productivity, strengthen operations, and remain competitive in an increasingly AI-driven economy.

About Venture for Canada’s AI at Work

These free workshop sessions, hosted by Venture for Canada (a Claude Network Partner and Approved Claude SMB Trainer), will be delivered both online and in-person, giving participants the flexibility and opportunity to connect with other SMEs while building their AI skills. The goal of these workshops is to help SMEs:

• Stay competitive and build capacity for growth: Participants will learn how to use AI to scale more efficiently without necessarily increasing their resources.
• Build AI fluency: Develop the skills and confidence to use AI efficiently, effectively, and ethically, moving beyond experimentation toward meaningful business applications.
• Turn AI adoption into practical action: Identify opportunities to integrate AI into everyday workflows and solve real business challenges.
• Keep pace with an AI-enabled workforce: Equip themselves and their teams to make better use of emerging technologies and skills the next generation of talent will bring.
• Access practical training and support: Reduce the barriers to AI adoption by bringing accessible, guided learning directly to SMEs in flexible formats.

In addition, every attendee will get one free month of Claude Max (for people new to Claude Max). No technical background is required to attend, and spots are limited.

Register here for virtual sessions on December 1 and December 10, plus the in-person session at Northeastern University’s Toronto campus on December 8. More information to come about the in-person session in Charlottetown.

If you’re an organization interested in sponsoring, hosting, or partnering with Venture for Canada for AI at Work, let us know here.

About Venture for Canada

Venture for Canada is a national charity on a mission to accelerate the careers of Canadian youth through immersive opportunities at innovative startups and small businesses. Through our programs, young Canadians gain the skills, experience, and networks they need to lead more entrepreneurial and impactful careers.

To learn more, read our 2024 Impact Report.

Connect with Venture for Canada:

Website: ventureforcanada.ca
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/school/venture-for-canada/
Instagram: @venture4canada
Twitter: @Venture4Canada

Media Contact:
Daniela Lockie – Senior Manager, Marketing & Sales
Email: daniela.lockie@ventureforcanada.ca