D-Wave’s quantum workforce development initiative sees double digit growth in 1H

D-Wave Quantum announced that enrollment in its quantum training courses has experienced double-digit growth in the first six months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. Enrollment in the “Quantum Programming Core” course increased by 53%, and all total enrollments increased by 85%. This remarkable growth underscores a burgeoning global movement to train workers to keep pace with the rapidly increasing adoption of quantum computing. The urgency to meet increasing demand for quantum programming skills comes amid predictions that less than half of all projected quantum computing job openings will be filled by 2025, according to a McKinsey report. Reinforcing this trend, the demand for in-house quantum computing expertise is cited by businesses actively using quantum computing as a top hurdle to their success, according to a recent 2024 Hyperion Research survey commissioned by D-Wave. In addition, quantum workforce development is now included in nearly all government quantum programs across Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others. “With rapidly increasing demand for quantum-ready talent and a shortage of quantum-trained workers, we’re at a critical crossroads with quantum education,” said Victoria Goliber, D-Wave’s head of technical advising. “Our learning solutions foster an environment of experimentation and innovation that helps streamline and expedite skills training to prepare the workforce now in order to meet the growing need for quantum optimization capabilities.”