OpenAI launches Australia-wide drive for AI skills & jobs

OpenAI has set out a national programme for Australia that combines plans for local AI infrastructure, workforce training partnerships and new support for technology startups, alongside the opening of several Sydney-based roles.

The initiative, branded OpenAI for Australia, marks the company's first OpenAI for Countries programme in the Asia Pacific region. OpenAI said the work will sit alongside agreements with Australian corporates, a planned hyperscale AI campus near Sydney and a new startup scheme.

"Australia is well placed to be a global leader in AI, with deep technical talent, strong institutions and a clear ambition to use new technology to lift productivity. Through OpenAI for Australia, we are focused on accelerating the infrastructure, workforce skills and local ecosystem needed to turn that opportunity into long-term economic growth," said Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI.

Sydney campus

OpenAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with data centre operator NEXTDC. The agreement sets out a plan for a sovereign AI infrastructure partnership under the OpenAI for Australia programme.

The companies said they will work together on the planning, development and operation of a next-generation hyperscale AI campus at NEXTDC's S7 site in Eastern Creek, Sydney. OpenAI said the campus will include a large-scale GPU supercluster.

OpenAI said it intends to be an initial offtaker of the infrastructure. It also described an option to scale usage over time under the wider OpenAI for Countries programme.

OpenAI said the infrastructure would provide sovereign compute capacity within Australia. It said this would cover sensitive and mission-critical workloads across government, business, research and national infrastructure sectors.

NEXTDC's S7 site is expected to drive multi-year construction activity. The project is forecast to support thousands of skilled and indirect jobs over its build period, according to the companies. NEXTDC and its partners also expect long-term technical and operational roles in AI and digital infrastructure at the campus.

The project team said it expects expanded opportunities for local manufacturers, engineers and suppliers. OpenAI and NEXTDC also linked the build-out to increased AI adoption across industry and government, and to growth in STEM and AI skills in the workforce.

Training partners

OpenAI said it will pair its infrastructure plans with a skills initiative delivered with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Coles and Wesfarmers. The partners aim to roll out essential AI skills training to more than 1.2 million Australian workers and small businesses.

OpenAI said the focus will be AI literacy and practical use in day-to-day work. The training will run through OpenAI Academy, which OpenAI described as its AI literacy training platform with structured courses on foundational AI topics.

Coles and Wesfarmers will roll out tailored OpenAI Academy programmes across their workforces. OpenAI said the courses will focus on practical skills for using AI tools across different roles in their operations.

Commonwealth Bank will make OpenAI Academy training modules available for 1 million small business customers across Australia. OpenAI said the bank will offer the modules as part of its support for digital tools in the small business sector.

OpenAI said its in-house AI experts will work with the three organisations on bespoke learning modules. It said the material will draw on Australian case studies and specific use cases.

OpenAI said a national rollout of the OpenAI Academy courses created with the three partners is scheduled to begin in 2026. The organisations described the plan as one of the largest coordinated AI skills initiatives in Australia.

Commonwealth Bank framed the work as part of its activity in the small business sector.

"Small businesses are the backbone of Australia's economy and the engine of our communities, but too many small business owners tell us they simply don't have the time or confidence to explore how AI could help them. We want every small business to feel confident using digital technologies such as AI, whether they're starting, running, or growing their business," said Matt Comyn, CEO, Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Startup scheme

OpenAI also outlined a new programme aimed at Australian technology startups. It said the initiative follows local adoption of its platform by software and services firms.

The company will launch its first startup programme in Australia in partnership with venture capital firms Blackbird, Square Peg and AirTree. OpenAI said it will offer participating startups up to USD $15,000 in API credits and technical mentorship from its engineers and global experts.

OpenAI said startups will get access to workshops on scaling, compliance and safety. It also said companies can receive additional API credits when they take part in technical workshops. OpenAI said the startup initiative will sit alongside an annual Founder Day event in Australia, with product sessions, demonstrations and guidance for companies building with OpenAI technology.

Local hiring

Alongside the national programme, OpenAI has opened several Sydney-based positions tied to customer deployment and sales engineering. The roles use a hybrid working model of three days per week in the office, with relocation assistance offered to new employees.

The openings include Manager, Solutions Engineering for Australia and New Zealand, Solutions Engineer for Australia, and AI Deployment Engineer for Australia. The roles cover pre-sales technical engagement, deployment work with strategic customers and coordination with internal product, security and customer teams.

OpenAI said it plans further expansion of its OpenAI for Countries model. It said the Australian programme will act as a reference point for future country-level initiatives in the region.