Free AI training for all: What the government just launched

The government has expanded its AI Skills Boost programme, making free "AI foundations" training available to every adult in the UK.

It has also set a new target to upskill 10 million workers by 2030, including at least two million people working in SMEs.

This sits alongside a clear political message from the Secretary of State, Liz Kendall MP, in her Bloomberg speech.

Kendall says Britain should focus on being the fastest adopter of AI in the G7, and government should help people through the job disruption that AI will bring.

What has actually changed?

Two practical changes matter for small firms.

1. Free, short, workplace-focused training is now open to everyone.

Courses are designed to take around 20 minutes to a day and focus on day-to-day tasks in the workplace, like drafting text, creating content and handling admin more efficiently.

2. A "virtual AI foundations badge" is being introduced

Courses in the AI Skills Boost catalogue are checked against Skills England's benchmark for "AI foundation skills for work", and completion can earn a government-backed badge.

The links founders should use today

• AI Skills Boost landing page

• AI Skills Boost course catalogue (the quickest way to start)

• AI Skills Boost explainer (useful for context and detail)

The other two announcements to note

Alongside the training offer, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has also announced the following:

1. A new "AI and the Future of Work Unit"

This unit is meant to monitor AI's impact on the labour market and advise the government on policy responses.

The media focus has landed heavily on Kendall's warning that some jobs will go, and her argument that government should prepare workers rather than pretend disruption won't happen.

2. £27 million for "TechLocal" under the TechFirst programme

This is framed as local support to connect people to tech jobs and create routes like professional practice courses and graduate traineeships.

Enterprise Nation's view

This is a positive move, and it tackles a real blockage we hear constantly – that many owners and teams want to use AI, but lack confidence and don't know where to start.

But the test will be how widely micro and small firms take this up. The offer needs to feel like genuine help, rather than a tech marketing exercise.

The AI Skills Hub will work best when founders can quickly answer three questions:

• What should I use AI for first, in my business?

• How do I do it safely and legally?

• How do I get my team using it without causing panic about job cuts?

That last point is now part of the public debate. Coverage has focused on Kendall's acknowledgement that AI will cost some jobs, alongside the argument that training and adoption are the best protection against being left behind.

Our view is simple – the quickest wins come from using AI to remove low-value admin and improve customer service, not from chasing flashy tools.

If you do that well, you save time, you protect your margins and you free people up to focus on work that actually grows the business.

Founders: What to do this week

1. Pick one course and finish it

Don't overthink who the "best" provider might be. Start by exploring the catalogue and choose something that fits your time and role.

2. Choose one workflow to improve in seven days

Examples that usually stick:

• Faster first drafts for emails, proposals, and policies

• Clearer customer replies and FAQs

• Quicker meeting notes and action lists

• Better social media captions and online store product descriptions

(Reminder: Keep a human in the loop, and don't paste sensitive customer data into tools you don't control.)

3. Tell your team what this is, and what it isn't

If you employ people, say it plainly: "We're using AI to save time on admin and improve quality, not to cut jobs."

That should help lower people's anxiety and encourage them to adopt these tools.

People also read

• Government digital skills programme: Free training you can use for your business

• What it'll take to get more SMEs adopting technology in 2026

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