Learning AI skills for work
Skills England says AI is becoming part of everyday work, across all jobs and sectors. Learning to use it well can start with a short course. Skills England said in July 2026 that free training on these skills is offered through the government's AI Skills Hub.
This is a general guide. It is not Workmate.ai Limited and is not connected with it.
The free courses
On 28 January 2026, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Skills England announced that "Every adult in the UK is eligible to take free, newly benchmarked courses to gain practical AI skills for work." The courses are online, and some take under 20 minutes.
A selection of courses on the government's AI Skills Hub have been checked against Skills England's benchmark. The announcement says the courses teach people to use simple AI tools for tasks like drafting text, creating content and doing administrative work.
The six skills they cover
Skills England has set out six AI foundation skills for work, in three groups. Its benchmark applies to England.
- Technical: writing clear instructions for AI tools, and using AI tools to support routine processes and tasks.
- Non-technical: using simple software that automates work tasks, and adjusting how an AI tool works to get better results.
- Responsible and ethical: understanding the risks and consequences of using AI, and analysing information with AI tools.
Skills England notes that AI is not always accurate. Knowing the risks helps people decide when to rely on it and when to use their own judgement. Its benchmark counts checking a tool's answers for accuracy, and spotting errors, as part of using AI responsibly.
The badge
Anyone who completes an AI Skills Boost course covering all six foundation skills receives a virtual badge, Skills England says. The badge shows they have met the benchmark. It is meant to help employers see that someone can use simple AI tools in a safe, effective and responsible way.
The programme behind it
AI Skills Boost is a joint programme between government and industry. In January 2026 the government raised the programme's target to 10 million UK workers trained in AI skills by 2030. The first target, announced in June 2025, was 7.5 million.
Careers advice
The National Careers Service has an online skills assessment. It asks about the things you like doing or are good at, and suggests careers to compare. It takes 5 to 10 minutes, and may take longer with a screen reader.
Useful links
- Free AI training for all (GOV.UK, 28 January 2026)
- AI foundation skills for work benchmark (Skills England, GOV.UK)
- AI Skills Boost explainer (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, GOV.UK)
- AI Skills for Life and Work: summary report (GOV.UK)
- Skills England (GOV.UK)
- Skills England annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026 (GOV.UK, July 2026)
- Discover your skills and careers (National Careers Service)