Government expands AI training to reach 10 million UK workers

The UK government has announced a major expansion of its AI Skills Boost programme, extending free AI foundations training to every adult in the UK and setting a target to upskill 10 million workers by 2030.

The initiative, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology working with Skills England and a broad coalition of employers and industry bodies, is positioned as a national effort to raise baseline AI capability across the workforce. Newly benchmarked courses will be available online to all UK adults, with completion recognised through a government-backed digital AI foundations badge.

Ministers said the expansion is intended to support faster and more widespread adoption of AI in workplaces, particularly as current levels of confidence and use remain low. Government research cited in the announcement suggests only 21 per cent of UK workers feel confident using AI at work, while only around one in six businesses were using AI tools as of mid-2025. Adoption rates are significantly lower among small and micro businesses.

The programme has already delivered around one million course completions since its launch in June 2025. New partners joining the initiative include the NHS, local government bodies, business groups and technology providers, enabling the government to increase its ambition to reach nearly a third of the UK workforce over the next decade, including at least two million employees in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Courses available through the refreshed AI Skills Hub are designed to be short and practical, with some taking less than 20 minutes to complete. They focus on the use of AI tools for everyday workplace tasks such as drafting text, creating content and completing administrative work. Government officials said the aim is to give workers and employers confidence in the safe and effective use of AI, while establishing clearer standards for what foundational AI skills should look like at work.

Alongside the training expansion, the government announced the creation of a new AI and the Future of Work Unit. The unit will provide analysis and advice across government on AI’s economic and labour market impacts, supported by an expert panel drawn from business, academia and trade unions.

Announcing the expansion, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the government wanted to ensure that workers were equipped to benefit from the changes AI will bring to jobs and productivity, rather than being left behind.

The announcement also included £27 million in new funding for a TechLocal scheme to support tech jobs and training in local communities, as well as further measures linked to the government’s wider Skills for Life and Industrial Strategy programmes.

The expanded AI Skills Boost programme forms part of the government’s stated ambition to make the UK the leading adopter of AI in the G7, with ministers arguing that improved workforce capability will be central to realising the potential productivity and growth benefits of the technology.

Key facts

• 10 million workers targeted for AI upskilling by 2030.
• Every UK adult eligible for free AI foundations training.
• 1 million course completions delivered since June 2025.
• Equivalent to upskilling nearly one third of the UK workforce.
• At least 2 million SME employees included in the target.
• NHS participation, bringing Britain’s largest employer into the programme.
• Some AI foundations courses take under 20 minutes to complete.
• Completion recognised through a government-backed digital AI foundations badge.