“The AI skills shortage among UK tech leaders has more than doubled in the last year.”
A drastic growth in the demand for AI skills has created a skills shortage in the tech industry. AI is changing the way businesses operate, from logistics and compliance to support services and product development. However, there is still one major setback: the skills gap.
The digital space continues to evolve and improve at lightning speed, but the workforce hasn’t kept up. So many employees lack the AI skills needed to adapt to a new era of work shaped by automation, predictive analytics, and reinforcement learning.
This radical change from the way things have been done in the past seeks to improve the way we operate in our daily tasks, rather than to simply disrupt us in the way that has been fearmongered by some. With the right AI training and strategy, businesses can empower their staff to use these tools in a meaningful way.
What’s Fueling the AI Skills Gap?
9 out of 10 UK tech leaders are now investing in or piloting AI, yet the internal knowledge to make those tools work is lagging far behind. Why?
- New roles, unclear skills: Titles like “AI Product Manager” or “Prompt Engineer” have emerged without widely adopted training frameworks.
- Siloed knowledge: AI understanding often sits only within IT or data teams, leaving other departments behind.
- Poor change management: Digital tools are being implemented faster than people can adapt, with no structured support.
The Consequences of Doing Nothing
Companies that fail to build AI capability across functions risk:
- Project failures are due to not using AI tools efficiently.
- Wage inflation sets in as AI-proficient professionals can command higher salaries.
- Falling behind as AI-ready competitors gain speed, accuracy, and forward-thinking momentum.
L&D is Your Strategic Advantage
When done right, Learning and Development (L&D) can be a powerful tool in closing the AI skills gap. It’s not just about offering training; it’s about thoughtful strategies that blend hands-on learning, internal mentorship, and flexible online platforms, such as Alison.com.
And it’s not just IT teams that need support. From HR to operations, marketing to compliance, every function now interacts with AI in some way. That’s why L&D must provide relevant, job-specific training that empowers all departments to adapt. Alison’s free, CPD-accredited courses are designed with this in mind, helping cross-functional teams develop the skills they need to use AI meaningfully in their everyday roles.
For organisations looking to scale learning across teams, our Free LMS makes it easy to roll out AI training at pace, without the usual cost or complexity.
Sector-Specific AI Learning for the Modern Workforce
To make AI adoption practical and effective, employees need access to training that speaks directly to their day-to-day responsibilities. That’s why Alison offers a growing catalogue of sector-specific AI courses. Here are just a few of our specialised courses to help your organisation prepare for its AI future:
AI for Operations and Logistics
AI in Human Resources
AI Risk and Compliance
AI for Health and Safety
AI for Business Strategy and Productivity
AI for Customer Experience
The L&D Playbook: Upskilling at Scale
To succeed in today’s AI-driven workforce, organisations need a smart, scalable, and inclusive learning initiative. Here’s what that looks like:
- Learning Management Systems: Platforms like Alison offer free, accredited AI training across various industries, removing cost barriers. Our AI courses blend formal instruction, on-the-job learning and knowledge transfer. You will receive skills training that is relevant for your job and a structured course that takes you on a learning journey in stages from beginner to intermediate. This approach is ideal for understanding theory and being able to apply it to real-world settings. Now you and your organisation can access scalable and relevant AI training that reaches people within your team without high costs.
- Drive experiential learning: With these courses, you can go beyond theory with projects, simulations, and AI pilots. Let employees learn by doing, not just with book knowledge.
- Incorporate change management: Support your AI transformation with change champions, role-specific training, and structured learning paths that evolve with the business.
Monitor progress and impact: Use analytics to measure training engagement and tie it to business outcomes, especially in areas like process efficiency, compliance rates, and project delivery.
From AI Awareness to AI Action
The future of work will be shaped by AI. However, the winners won’t be those who adopt the flashiest tools. They’ll be the businesses that understand the importance of preparing their people to use AI intelligently, strategically, and responsibly.
At Alison, we believe in free, skills-based learning that equips teams at every level, whether they are entry-level or C-suite.
Regardless of whether you work in logistics, HR, safety, compliance, or product strategy, it’s essential to enhance your understanding of AI with Alison. The skills gap isn’t going away on its own, but with the right learning paths, you can close it faster than you think.
