During London Tech Week on 9 June 2025, the UK government unveiled an ambitious initiative aimed at upskilling 7.5 million workers—approximately 20% of the UK workforce—in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030. This government-industry partnership includes contributions from notable tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM, all of which have committed to providing accessible training materials for businesses of all sizes.

The announcement coincided with a £187 million programme intended to integrate digital skills and AI training into schools and communities. This initiative echoes the AI Opportunities Action Plan published earlier in the year, which proposes nine key strategies to cultivate the next generation of AI experts. Julian David OBE, CEO of techUK, remarked on the government’s mission, emphasising, “techUK stands ready to support… in achieving its ambition to upskill 7.5 million people with AI skills by 2030.” The focus now shifts towards fostering industry cooperation to simplify the retraining process for employees at all levels.

The newly introduced TechFirst package comprises four distinct strands—TechYouth, TechGrad, TechExpert, and TechLocal. Each aims to tackle specific educational and developmental needs within the technology sector. TechYouth, with £24 million allocated, seeks to engage one million secondary school students in tech learning over three years. Meanwhile, TechGrad will support 1,000 talented domestic students annually with scholarships in critical areas like AI and cyber security, backed by a total investment of £96.8 million. On the PhD level, TechExpert will offer financial support to 500 domestic researchers, while TechLocal will focus on regional innovators, providing £18 million to assist small businesses in adopting AI technologies.

Despite these efforts, concerns were raised regarding the existing digital infrastructure necessary to support AI initiatives. Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, underscored these deficiencies while advocating for increased investment in computing capabilities, which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged to enhance with an additional £1 billion. This funding aims to increase UK computing power by twentyfold, supporting broader AI adoption across various sectors, including government training programs. Notably, Nvidia plans to launch an AI Technology Centre in Bristol, contributing to this burgeoning initiative.

Moreover, the UK government announced the AI Accelerator Programme, a twelve-week bootcamp designed to transform civil service data scientists into AI specialists through collaborative projects aimed at improving public services. In tandem with this, techUK’s ongoing engagement with the government focuses on the pressing labour market challenges posed by evolving technology landscapes.

Evidence suggests a significant gap in AI investments when comparing the UK with global powerhouses like the US and China. To address this disparity, the government’s objective includes expanding its computing capacity to accommodate up to 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by 2030.

In this wider context, all these efforts highlight the essential need for strategic collaboration and sustained investment in AI to secure the UK’s position as a leading player in this transformative field. The TechFirst initiative, along with other strategic alliances between government and tech firms, is geared towards fostering an AI-ready workforce capable of driving innovation and enhancing quality of life across the nation.

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Source: Noah Wire Services