What has the Government announced?
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Skills England has announced an expansion of free AI foundations training, with plans to upskill 10 million people in the UK. The Government says that every adult in the UK is eligible to take free courses to gain practical AI skills for work. The courses, developed by industry, have been benchmarked against Skills England’s AI foundation skills for work standard, meaning that those that complete the courses will be able to receive a virtual AI foundations badge. The courses vary in length and have been produced by a range of industry organisations: for example, a 30 minutes AI Fundamentals for Business Course by Sage, through to a 9 hours intermediate-level course from IBM exploring foundations for understanding AI.
In addition to the announcement of the training offer, the Technology Secretary confirmed on Wednesday new partners to help advance the AI Skills Boost programme; funding of £27 million to kickstart a scheme called ‘TechLocal’ aimed at filling and creating up to 1,000 tech jobs in local communities across the UK; and the launch of offers to apply for Spärck AI scholarships at 9 UK universities. Furthermore, a new unit – AI and the Future of Work Unit – will be setup to provide timely advice on when new policies should be implemented related to AI and the future of work, supported by an expert panel of industry, academia, trade union and civil society representatives.
Why is this happening now?
The announcements come as the Government sets targets to make Britain the fastest adopting AI country in the G7. Since June, the AI Skills training offer has delivered one million courses, with the latest announcements representing a significant expansion and push to upskill many more adults across the country. Employees in the NHS and local government in particular will be onboarded to the training, with the training open to all UK adults online.
According to new research, only 21% of UK workers feel confident using AI at work and adoption remained low in businesses last year. Separate research last year by YouGov found that while 86% say they are familiar with artificial intelligence, only 31% of SME businesses currently use AI.
Over recent years, Government has been focusing increasingly on the rise of AI and its potential impacts on work. Also published today is a summary report focused on AI Skills for Life and Work, which suggests demand for AI skills is expected to grow significantly and jobs involving core AI activities are projected to rise to 12% of the workforce by 2035. AI has also been an important focus of work for Skills England more widely, the new agency launched in 2024.
What could this mean for employers and employees?
The announcement of expanded AI training offers opportunities for all UK adults to gain greater familiarity with AI for a range of applications. AI is increasingly being used in businesses for administrative tasks, supporting automations, through to wider activities such as customer-service. The AI Skills Hub shows a drive to make AI core to the digital infrastructure, moving beyond traditional digital skills. Speaking to media outlets on Wednesday, tech leaders encouraged people to embrace AI at work rather than fear it, indicating it will have a major influence and impact on jobs moving forward.
The wider announcements beyond training suggest a continued push to find improvements to processes in public services, such as the NHS where there will be an increased push to embed AI skills in the workforce. Meanwhile, the AI and the Future of Work Unit could play an important role in guiding policies and future legislation. Headlines over recent weeks have shown that while AI can bring significant benefits, it also needs careful safeguards implemented.
How does the training fit within wider industrial and skills policy in the UK?
Interventions on AI are being directed through system-level approaches and it is clear that there will need to be collaboration between government departments, across industry and academia, and in local areas to ensure the workforce of today and tomorrow is skilled in core AI competencies. The latest interventions align with and add to plans set out in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, such as AI innovation through a National Data Library and the rollout of AI Growth Zones in local places. To realise its AI adoption ambitions and to tackle existing skills challenges, newly announced schemes and more will need to reach adults and local communities across the UK.
At GC Insight, our team are keen adopters of AI, as well as supporting our clients to harness this powerful technology. We work across the UK, including providing guidance on how to rollout AI adoption programmes and maximise the benefits of digital technologies. This includes sector-focused studies, such as exploring the adoption benefits of AI in advanced manufacturing, and workforce plans considering the future skills needs on AI and other digital technologies. Our team also develop a range of AI-enabled tools to support business engagement and growth, such as our Business Support AI Chatbot. To find out more about our work or for a chat about the latest developments around AI skills, connect with our team.
Published: 28 January 2026
