Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a landmark AI skills initiative on Monday, partnering with tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon to train 7.5 million workers over the next five years. Dubbed “TechFirst,” the program also allocates £187 million to bring AI training to 1 million secondary school students.
“We are putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation – so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it,” said Starmer, highlighting the government’s ambition to unlock new growth pathways.
With the UK’s AI sector valued at £72 billion and projected to surpass £800 billion by 2035, it is growing 30 times faster than the wider economy and supports over 64 000 jobs. Under the new partnership, free training materials on chatbots, large language models and productivity tools will be made available to businesses nationwide.
Debbie Weinstein, Google’s EMEA president, praised the plan as a “crucial initiative” for cementing the UK’s position as an AI leader, while memorandums with NVIDIA aim to build a robust talent pipeline in semiconductors and AI engineering.
For digital nomads, startup founders and curious minds alike, this is a chance to dive into practical AI skills and stay ahead in an era defined by rapid technological change.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
