AI-powered migration and Canvas Career enhancements target underserved learners and institutions worldwide
The path from education to employment is changing, and institutions need learning technology that can keep pace.
Instructure, the leading learning ecosystem and maker of Canvas LMS, is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to expand modern learning and workforce opportunities through AI-powered technology.
Supported by the AWS Education Equity Initiative, the collaboration will focus on modernizing learning infrastructure and expanding Canvas Career, Instructure’s platform for skills-first, workforce-aligned learning.
The initiative aims to reach approximately 900,000 learners in its first year, including roughly 280,000 underserved learners, with a path to approximately 5.4 million learners over four years, including roughly 1.8 million underserved learners.
For many learners, however, the challenge begins well before they reach a workforce program. Limited access to technology and the internet, geographic isolation, language barriers and outdated institutional systems can prevent people from accessing modern learning opportunities in the first place.
“Education equity means building systems that work for learners in every environment, including those who face the greatest barriers to opportunity,” said Melissa Loble, chief learning officer at Instructure. “Through this collaboration with AWS, we are accelerating tools that help more institutions modernize their learning environments and connect learners to workforce pathways. Instructure is committed to helping institutions expand opportunity through scalable learning infrastructure and workforce-connected learning experiences.”
Modernizing the Systems Behind Learning
Institutions cannot easily provide modern learning experiences when the infrastructure underneath them is outdated.
Many under-resourced institutions remain dependent on legacy, on-premise LMS platforms because migration can be expensive, complicated and resource-intensive.
AWS support will help Instructure develop AI-powered LMS migration tooling designed to reduce these barriers. The tools will help institutions move to Canvas from legacy LMS platforms, self-managed open-source systems, homegrown solutions and other non-standard platforms.
Making migration more manageable can give institutions greater flexibility to modernize their technology without placing an outsized burden on limited IT teams and budgets.
Expanding Access to Workforce-Aligned Learning
At the same time, education is increasingly expected to provide a direct connection to skills and employment.
Canvas Career is designed to support this shift, serving workforce development and continuing education programs that may fall outside traditional higher education. Its audience includes community colleges, vocational training centers, public-sector workforce programs, K-12 workforce initiatives and adult learners returning to education.
“AWS is proud to power Instructure’s reach across more than 100 countries and millions of learners,” said Aanya Niaz, Education Lead, Amazon Web Services. “They’ve built Canvas Career to serve workforce and continuing education programs that often fall outside traditional higher education models. We want to make these tools and infrastructure that drive positive learning outcomes accessible to educators and learners who need them most.”
The collaboration will accelerate development across both access and outcomes.
Secure infrastructure designed for low-connectivity environments will support correctional facilities and remote settings. Accessibility frameworks will help address the needs of learners with disabilities.
On the workforce side, AI-powered skill mapping will help connect training to current job requirements. Credential and certification management will enable stackable credentials and workforce badges, while employer tools will help bridge learning pathways and employment pipelines.
Reaching Learners Across Different Environments
The first year of the initiative will focus on the United States, Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom, with expansion to other regions planned over time.
Four groups will be central to the initial effort:
- K-12 districts with workforce programs serving rural and first-generation students
- Correctional facilities building credential pathways for incarcerated learners
- Community colleges serving adult and budget-constrained students
- Workforce development organizations, including vocational training centers and public-sector programs
Progress will be measured through institutional adoption and learner reach. As the programs mature, Instructure will also track workforce outcomes including credential attainment, program completion and job placement.
The company will begin publicly reporting progress in the second half of 2026 and continue quarterly.
For Instructure and AWS, the initiative is a starting point for broader work around education equity. By combining cloud infrastructure, AI-powered tools and workforce-focused learning capabilities, the collaboration aims to help more institutions modernize and give more learners access to education that can lead to meaningful career opportunities.