Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, has launched the AI Skills Hub, an online platform designed to connect individuals, employers, training providers, and AI technology partners. Created with the support of PwC, the hub aims to accelerate AI adoption, foster job creation, and drive economic growth by unifying the fragmented AI learning and employment landscape.
The initiative seeks to address the growing gap between employers’ demand for AI skills and the availability of trained professionals. Initially, the hub will focus on four key industries: agriculture and food processing, construction, creative, and transport, logistics, and warehousing.
Research by PwC for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) revealed that over 73% of employers in these sectors report skills shortages in areas such as AI systems, AI ethics, governance, regulations, and machine learning. While there is a strong appetite among employees to upskill in AI, the primary barriers to training are cost and difficulty in sourcing appropriate courses. PwC’s research also indicates that industries with high AI adoption exhibit three times the productivity growth and faster wage growth, with an 11% wage premium for AI-skilled occupations.
Zlatina Loudjeva, partner at PwC UK, said: “AI is here to stay, it will develop faster and faster, and presents huge opportunities for employers and employees alike. The better the skills a person has, the more they can benefit from the new opportunities. But for those lacking the right skills, the risk is being left behind.”
She added: “By improving links between employers, training providers, and technology partners, the hub aims to increase employability and AI readiness in sectors where there is a clear need. Providing these essential skills is not only key to the UK’s economic stability and prosperity but also to promoting greater social cohesion.”
Gary Cutts, Innovate UK Executive Director for Digital and Technologies, commented: “The pace of AI development can make AI learning a daunting prospect for individuals and employers, who can struggle to stay on top of training needs. The AI skills hub will make the AI learning and employment landscape much more accessible.”
Image source: LinkedIn (Gary Cutts)
