Britain’s approach to artificial intelligence has taken a decisive step forward, with a major expansion of a joint government and industry programme offering free AI training to every adult in the UK. The ambition is clear and deliberately bold: to equip 10 million workers with practical, job-ready AI skills by the end of the decade, positioning the UK as the fastest adopter of AI among the G7.
For UK workers, the significance is immediate. Newly benchmarked short courses are now available online through the government’s AI Skills Hub, open to all adults regardless of sector, age or prior experience. Many take under 20 minutes to complete, focusing on real-world applications such as drafting text, creating content, streamlining administrative tasks and using simple AI tools effectively in day-to-day work. On completion, learners receive a government-backed virtual AI foundations badge, providing visible recognition of their skills.
This expansion comes amid growing concern that confidence and adoption remain stubbornly low. Research published alongside the announcement shows only 21 per cent of UK workers currently feel confident using AI at work, while just one in six UK businesses had adopted AI by mid-2025. Smaller employers face particular challenges, with microbusinesses significantly less likely to use AI than larger organisations. Against that backdrop, the programme’s reach is designed to be transformational rather than symbolic.
The scale is striking. Since June, one million courses have already been delivered. With major new public and private sector partners joining, the target has now been lifted to 10 million workers — close to a third of the UK workforce — including at least two million employees in small and medium-sized enterprises. NHS staff and local government employees are among those expected to benefit early, underlining the programme’s reach across frontline public services and local communities.
Speaking as the expansion was confirmed, Liz Kendall framed the initiative as both an opportunity and a safeguard. Change, she said, is inevitable, but its consequences are not. The focus, she stressed, is on ensuring people have the skills and confidence to use AI safely and productively, so the benefits are widely shared rather than narrowly concentrated.
Alongside the training offer, a new AI and the Future of Work Unit is being launched to monitor how AI reshapes jobs and the labour market. Backed by experts from business, academia and worker-focused organisations, the unit will provide evidence-led advice to government, aiming to avoid the social dislocation seen in past waves of industrial change. The emphasis is on growth, adaptability and dignity at work — ensuring technological progress translates into better jobs, not fewer opportunities.
There is also fresh funding to support local impact. A £27 million TechLocal scheme, part of the wider £187 million TechFirst programme, will help employers and learning providers create or fill up to 1,000 tech roles across the UK. New AI-focused degrees, graduate traineeships and work experience opportunities are intended to anchor skilled jobs within communities, rather than drawing talent away from them. Complementing this, applications have opened for the Spärck AI Scholarship at nine UK universities, covering tuition and living costs for up to 100 postgraduate students in AI and STEM subjects.
For very early adopters of AI from organisations like The Workers Union, the message is clear. AI is no longer a distant concept or a specialist tool reserved for a narrow group. It is becoming part of everyday working life across construction, care, retail, logistics, administration and professional services. Free, accessible training removes a key barrier for working people who may otherwise be left behind as technology advances.
Industry leaders involved in the programme are broadly aligned on one point: the biggest obstacle to effective AI use is not technology, but skills. By setting clear benchmarks and offering universally accessible training, the initiative aims to establish a national standard for what good AI upskilling looks like. The potential economic prize is substantial, with estimates suggesting AI adoption could unlock up to £140 billion in additional annual output — but only if workers are equipped to use it well.
For UK workers weighing whether AI is something to fear or embrace, the direction of travel is unmistakable. The tools are coming into workplaces at pace. This programme is an attempt to put knowledge, confidence and control into the hands of the workforce itself — a recognition that a productive, competitive economy depends on people being supported to adapt.
