Anthropic has committed $100 million to a new training program for engineers who build AI systems inside businesses. The company announced the effort on October 2, 2026.
The program is called Claude Frontier Academy. Its goal is to train 10,000 Frontier Deployed Engineers, or FDEs, by the end of 2027.
Engineers from Accenture, Bain, Capgemini, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deloitte, McKinsey, Morgan Stanley and Novo Nordisk are among the first groups to join.
Anthropic said the program targets a shortage of skilled workers. According to the company, people who can make AI work inside a real business have become the hardest talent to find.
The company said this is the first academy of its kind from an AI company. It is based on Anthropic's own work deploying its Claude AI model at large companies and consulting firms.
Steve Corfield, Anthropic's Global Head of Business Development and Partnerships, said a small team of skilled people with access to Claude "can transform an entire company."
"No AI company has invested in developing that talent inside its customers and partners at this depth," Corfield said.
How the Residency Program Works
The Academy's first program is the Frontier Deployed Engineer Residency. Anthropic said it follows a medical training model, where doctors learn from practicing physicians and are tested before working alone.
The program is open to hands-on software engineers with strong basic skills and a record of building with large language models. Prior experience building AI agents is not required.
Organizations nominate their strongest engineers. Each one arrives with a named Claude project to lead when they return to work.
Training starts with a multi-day, in-person session led by Anthropic engineers and licensed instructors. Participants work through a simulated business deployment, from choosing a use case to security review and handover.
The session ends with a graded test on a new scenario. Those who pass earn the Claude Resident Engineer badge.
Next comes a 12-week residency. Engineers lead a real Claude project at their own company with support from Anthropic engineers and their cohort.
A final assessment follows. Engineers who pass earn the Claude Frontier Deployed Engineer badge, with the first expected in early 2027.
First Cohorts Underway in Three Cities
The first groups are now running in San Francisco, New York and London. Joining is by nomination only, and companies can ask their Anthropic account team or partner manager about eligibility.
The Academy builds on the Claude Partner Network. Professionals at 46,000 firms have earned more than 175,000 Claude certifications through that network.
Nearly 4,000 people have also completed Basecamp, a program that teaches the same material Anthropic's Applied AI teams learn when they join. Anthropic said training 10,000 FDEs is "the first step of many."
