The UK Government has announced a major expansion of its artificial intelligence skills training programme through the new AI Skills Hub, opening up free AI courses to every adult in the country as part of an ambition to equip 10 million workers with key AI skills by 2030.
The initiative, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in partnership with Skills England and a wide range of employers, marks a significant escalation in efforts to prepare the workforce for the rapid spread of AI across the economy. Ministers argue that ensuring people have the skills to work confidently with AI is now as important as previous national drives around digital literacy.
The training offer is designed to be practical and accessible, with short online modules focused on everyday workplace uses of AI. Courses cover areas such as drafting and editing text, generating content, analysing information and automating routine tasks. Some modules can be completed in as little as 20 minutes and are aligned with Skills England’s AI foundation standards. Learners receive a digital badge on completion.
Making AI Work for Britain
Commenting on the launch, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall said the expansion was about ensuring that technological change benefits workers rather than leaving them behind.
She said the Government wants AI to work for Britain, and that means ensuring people can work with AI. While change is inevitable, she argued that the consequences of change are not, stressing that the government intends to protect people from the risks of AI while making sure everyone can share in its benefits. Building skills and confidence, she said, is the starting point.
“AI gives us a unique opportunity to rethink and reinvent how UK businesses will transform and grow. We are on a mission to drive AI adoption by giving people the right skills to take advantage of this technology, enabling them to have a greater impact, faster, which is a truly exciting prospect for the UK workforce and the UK economy more broadly.”
Matt Prebble, Head of Accenture in the UK and Ireland
Alongside the training expansion, the government has also announced the creation of a new AI and the Future of Work Unit. The unit will analyse how AI is affecting jobs and sectors, and advise ministers on how to support workers as roles evolve.
Industry Backing at Scale
A central feature of the programme is the scale of industry involvement. Major employers and technology firms have committed to supporting the training effort, including Accenture, Amazon, Barclays, BT, Google, IBM, Intuit, Microsoft, Sage, Salesforce, SAS, the NHS and techUK.
Industry leaders have framed the initiative as both an economic necessity and a productivity opportunity. Phil Smith, Chair of Skills England, highlighted the pace at which AI is being adopted and the need for trusted, high quality training that employers recognise and value.
Chief Executive of UKAI, Tim Flagg said “UKAI welcomes this expansion of free AI training and the ambition to reach 10 million workers. We have consistently called for a broader approach to AI skills, one that goes beyond just technical skills and focuses on everyday AI skills that empower people, as consumers, citizens, and employees.
“Giving workers practical, accessible skills to use AI confidently at work is essential if adoption is to scale, and deliver real economic and social benefits. This announcement is an important step towards making AI something people can use, not just something that happens to them.”
Accenture’s UK and Ireland leadership described AI as a chance to rethink how British businesses transform and grow, while BT’s chief executive pointed to the importance of combining digital infrastructure with workforce skills. Google Cloud UK emphasised growing demand for hands on digital training, and Microsoft’s UK leadership argued that AI skills are needed now, not in the distant future, if people are to become more effective creators, thinkers and entrepreneurs.
“Everyday AI skills are essential if adoption is to scale and deliver real economic and social benefit.”
Tim Flagg, CEO, UKAI
IBM highlighted its experience delivering free digital education globally and said industry has a responsibility to help close skills gaps as AI becomes embedded across sectors.
Business groups and representative bodies, including the Confederation of British Industry and the Local Government Association, also welcomed the expansion, arguing that accessible skills training is critical to improving productivity, supporting regional growth and strengthening the UK’s competitiveness.
Skills, Productivity and Economic Strategy
The announcement sits within a broader government push to align skills policy with economic strategy. Ministers have repeatedly pointed to low productivity and uneven adoption of new technologies as long-standing challenges for the UK economy.
By offering free, short form AI training to all adults, the Government is seeking to lower the barrier to engagement with new tools, particularly for workers in small businesses, the public sector and non technical roles who might otherwise be left behind.
“AI is reshaping daily life, and all of us need the right skills to make the most of it. BT is doing more than anyone else to build, and connect people to, the next generation networks that will help the UK become an AI leader. We’re proud to be part of this national programme, supporting our colleagues and the businesses we serve to find the right courses through the AI Skills Portal. Upskilling is a major part of how we connect for good – helping more people benefit from a digital world.”
Allison Kirkby, CEO, BT
The emphasis on foundational skills reflects growing recognition that confidence, rather than deep technical expertise, is often the main obstacle preventing people from using AI effectively at work.
What It Means for Workers
For millions of workers, the expanded programme offers a low risk way to build familiarity with AI and understand how it can support day to day tasks. For employers, it promises a more capable workforce able to use AI responsibly to improve efficiency and innovation.
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape jobs and workplaces, the government’s message is clear: AI skills are no longer optional. The challenge now will be turning widespread access to training into meaningful changes in how work is done across the UK economy.
(Picture: Secretary of State Liz Kendall attends the first meeting of the Women in Task Force and speaks to students about what they are learning. Alecsandra Dragoi/DSIT)