The UK government has expanded its national AI skills programme so that every adult in Britain can now access free training in artificial intelligence. The initiative, launched on 28 January 2026 by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology alongside Skills England and supported by industry, aims to upskill 10 million workers with key AI capabilities by 2030.
The free courses are available online through the government’s AI Skills Hub and have been benchmarked against Skills England’s foundation skills standard. Many are short, practical modules that can take under 20 minutes to complete and focus on how to use AI tools effectively at work, such as generating text, improving productivity and automating routine tasks. Learners who complete them receive a virtual AI foundations badge, giving employers confidence in their skills.
This expanded offer builds on efforts begun in 2025 and has already delivered more than one million course completions. The government has also announced £27 million in funding to support local tech jobs, professional practice courses and graduate traineeships.
Crucially, the programme has strong industry backing, with partners ranging from major tech companies to the NHS and business organisations. These collaborations are designed to ensure the training reaches a wide cross-section of workers, including those in small and medium-sized enterprises.
To support the broader transition to an AI-enabled economy, the government is launching a new cross-government unit to analyse AI’s impacts on jobs and the labour market, and to advise on future policy. The Technology Secretary has said the ambition is to make Britain the fastest adopting AI country in the G7, helping people benefit from AI rather than be left behind by it.
You can view the courses and enrol here: https://aiskillshub.org.uk/aiskillsboost/
