Anthropic commits $100 million to train 10,000 enterprise AI engineers

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Anthropic has launched the Claude Frontier Academy with a $100 million commitment to address the shortage of skilled professionals capable of implementing AI within businesses. The company plans to train 10,000 Frontier Deployed Engineers (FDEs) by the end of 2027.

The first groups include engineers from companies and organisations such as Accenture, Bain, Capgemini, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deloitte, McKinsey, Morgan Stanley and Novo Nordisk.

According to Anthropic, businesses are increasingly adopting AI but are struggling to find people who can turn AI systems into practical tools for real-world operations. The company says a relatively small number of highly skilled employees often account for a large share of the results achieved through AI.

The academy is designed around Anthropic’s experience deploying Claude within major enterprises and professional services firms. Its aim is to develop engineers who can identify suitable applications, take projects through security reviews and deployment, and build systems that improve business processes or create new products and services.

The first training initiative, called the Frontier Deployed Engineer Residency, uses an approach compared by Anthropic to medical training. Participants learn from experienced practitioners, work through realistic cases and undergo assessments before receiving certification.

Candidates must be experienced software engineers with strong technical fundamentals, experience working with large language models and a record of helping others adopt AI. Companies nominate their strongest engineers, who return to their organisations with a specific Claude project to lead. Previous experience building AI agents is not required.

The programme begins with several days of in-person training alongside Anthropic engineers and licensed instructors. Participants complete a simulated enterprise deployment covering areas such as selecting a use case, conducting a security review and handing over the finished system. They then take a practical assessment based on a new scenario.

Those who pass receive the Claude Resident Engineer badge and enter a 12-week residency. During this period, they lead an actual Claude project within their own organisation while receiving support from Anthropic engineers and collaborating with other participants. A second assessment takes place at the end of the residency, with successful engineers receiving the Claude Frontier Deployed Engineer badge. The first recipients are expected in early 2027.

The initial cohorts are already operating in San Francisco, New York and London, with the programme expected to expand toward its 10,000-engineer target by the end of 2027. Participation is nomination-based, and organisations can check eligibility through their Anthropic account team or Partner Account Manager.

The academy builds on Anthropic’s existing Claude Partner Network. Professionals from 46,000 firms have earned more than 175,000 Claude certifications, while nearly 4,000 people have completed Basecamp, an immersive programme using the same curriculum provided to Anthropic’s Applied AI teams during onboarding.

Anthropic said the Frontier Academy is intended specifically for professionals who will lead AI implementation inside businesses, with the initial goal of training 10,000 Frontier Deployed Engineers.