The UK government has announced a major expansion of its joint government–industry AI Skills Boost programme, opening free artificial intelligence training to every adult in the country and setting a target to upskill 10 million workers by 2030.
The initiative, unveiled on January 28 by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Skills England, aims to make Britain the fastest adopter of AI in the G7 while ensuring workers are prepared for rapid technological change. Newly benchmarked short courses, available through a revamped AI Skills Hub, allow participants to earn a government-backed virtual AI foundations badge after completing training that can take less than 20 minutes.
The programme focuses on practical workplace skills, including using AI tools for drafting text, generating content and handling administrative tasks, with the goal of freeing workers to focus on higher-value work. According to government analysis, wider AI adoption could unlock up to £140 billion in additional annual economic output, but current uptake remains uneven. Research cited alongside the announcement shows only 21 percent of UK workers feel confident using AI at work, and just one in six businesses had adopted AI by mid-2025, with microbusinesses significantly lagging behind large firms.
The expansion brings a wave of new partners into the programme, including the NHS, local government bodies, major business groups and technology firms. NHS staff and local authority employees are expected to be among the largest groups to benefit, as the government raises its ambition from one million completed courses since June to reaching nearly a third of the national workforce over the decade.
Alongside the training push, the government is launching a new AI and the Future of Work Unit to assess how AI will reshape jobs and productivity. Backed by an expert panel drawn from industry, academia and trade unions, the unit will provide evidence-based advice to help policymakers respond to labour market disruption and avoid repeating the social costs of past industrial transitions.
The announcement also included £27 million in new funding for the TechLocal scheme, part of the wider £187 million TechFirst programme. The funding will support local employers, new AI-focused degree programmes, graduate traineeships and work placements, and is expected to help fill or create up to 1,000 tech jobs across UK communities. In addition, the government has opened applications for the Spärck AI Scholarship, which will fund up to 100 AI and STEM master’s students with tuition, living costs and industry placements.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the programme is designed to ensure “AI works for Britain” by putting skills and confidence directly into the hands of workers. “Change is inevitable,” she said, “but the consequences of change are not.”
Industry partners welcomed the expansion, describing AI skills as essential economic infrastructure. Together, government and industry leaders said the initiative aims to set a national standard for responsible AI adoption while positioning the UK workforce to compete in an increasingly AI-driven global economy.
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