New tools will help employers maximise AI productivity gains

• Skills England report shows what works for AI training, as skills gaps hold back adoption
• New tools will help employers build the AI skills their workforce needs, drawing on first-hand experience from early adopters.
• They follow recent launch of new training including AI and automation practitioner apprenticeship; AI leadership apprenticeship units; and free short courses for every adult in the UK.

While around 44% of workplaces now use AI every day, a new report has found adoption remains uneven and often limited in impact.

Published today (10 June) by Dr Nisreen Ameen from Royal Holloway, University of London, in partnership with Skills England, the report tackles this challenge head on. It draws on insights from over 150 employers to show what works in practice through the Skills for AI: What Works for AI Upskilling in the UK (SKAI) programme.

It moves from diagnosis to delivery, providing practical, evidence-based support for employers to progress from experimentation to effective, scalable AI use across their workforce.

The programme includes new analysis, an employer guide, and case studies of successful AI adoption. At its core is the PRIMES framework, setting out six principles for effective AI training: Practical, Reachable, Integrated, Modular, Expandable and Sustainable.

This report complements Skills England's work to help strengthen the AIskills of the workforce, including:

• a Level 4 AI and automation practitioner apprenticeship, supporting practical workplace application
• new flexible apprenticeship units on AI leadership and strategy, helping employers respond quickly to emerging needs
• Skills England digital badges on completion of benchmarked courses done through the AI Skills Boost programme. This was launched with tech employers and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, offering free, high-quality short courses for adults across the UK. 

Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills:

The UK has a proud history of embracing new technologies and this government is committed to ensuring the benefits of AI are felt right across the country. AI has the potential to transform our economy, boost productivity and create real opportunities for workers and businesses, but only if we have a workforce equipped to use it effectively. The tools launched today, alongside our AI apprenticeships, free short courses and Youth Guarantee, will give employers exactly what they need to make that happen.

Phil Smith, chair of Skills England, said:

AI is already transforming how businesses operate - but too many are still struggling to unlock its full potential. This report shows successful adoption depends not just on technology, but on people having the right skills, confidence and support. Through the SKAI programme and the PRIMES framework, we're giving employers clear, practical guidance to upskill their workforce and maximise AI productivity gains in a responsible way. When you consider this alongside our growing AI skills offer, I'm proud of the progress that's being made.

SKAI and PRIMES complement free-to use tools made available by Skills England, with Dr Nisreen Ameen, last October. They are:

1. The AI Skills Framework identifies relevant technical, responsible, and non-technical skills needed for different job roles and at different levels.
2. The AI Skills Adoption Pathway Model shows how organisations progress through stages of AI adoption, from initial awareness to strategic scaling.
3. The Employer AI Adoption Checklist provides structured prompts to help employers assess their AI skills readiness, identify workforce gaps, and upskill.

Case studies for the SKAI Progamme have been developed with a wide variety of employers including LinkedIn, Airbus, Roche, KPMG, Vertis Media, Congregation, NHS, the Good Things Foundation, Cast Consultancy and 100 School.

Dr Nisreen Ameen said:

It's important to explain how organisations are moving from informal early use to well-structured AI capability. These case studies cover everything from role-based learning pathways and peer and community-led support to inclusive approaches that build confidence among non-technical and digitally excluded learners. They're a key part of our work to show what successful use of AI really looks like.

James Lee, Head of Public Policy and Economic Graph, UK, LinkedIn, said:

AI's economic potential will depend not just on innovation, but on how widely it is adopted across firms and workers. Our experience shows that structured, role-based learning frameworks can help organisations move from experimentation to deployment, building the capability needed to support workforce adaptability and long-term growth.

Ian Barnwell, Chief Learning Officer & Co-Lead, KPMG Powered Enterprise for Government and Public Sector KPMG in the UK:

KPMG is proud to support this report, bringing insights that help bridge skills gaps and create meaningful opportunities. We share Skills England's ambition to deliver better skills for better jobs and believe AIcan play an important role in helping organisations build the capabilities needed for a more resilient workforce and sustainable economic growth.

Laura Cioffi, Co-Founder of Vertis Media, said:

AI hasn't replaced our team; it has elevated us. We built our capability entirely in-house, sharing tools, experiments, and failures every week. That shift from repetitive execution to high-value strategy gave Vertis Media the confidence to move into new, specialised markets. 

Mary Booth, Digital Services Manager and Trustee for digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation, said:  

We believe AI shouldn't be a barrier. By replacing tech jargon with simple, everyday explanations, we're helping people build the confidence they need to ensure no one gets left behind. 

Dr Lavan Baskaran, NHS/Private Senior GP Partner with Special Interest in Sleep & Cardio-Metabolic Medicine, said:

The real opportunity for AI in primary care is not replacing clinicians, but supporting them to spend more time focused on patients and less time managing documentation and administrative processes.

Vijay Reddi, Analytical Data Science TA lead Ophthalmology and Neurology for multinational healthcare and biotechnology company, Roche, said:

The true power of AI is unlocked when it becomes a shared capability, not just a specialist's domain. Our journey at Roche proves that by embracing continuous learning and embedding responsible use, we can shift culture, boost confidence, and accelerate impact for patients globally.

Matt Wells, MD, Congregation Partners, said:

We believe the future belongs to organisations that combine human judgement with machine capability. In our own business and across our work with clients, we've already seen AI accelerate delivery, reduce costs, unlock new services and help smaller, more agile organisations compete with much larger competitors.

Mark Farmer, Founder & Board Executive for construction-focused Cast Consultancy, said:

Cast is in the process of responsibly deploying AI to drive fundamental change in how we deliver for our clients. It is enabling us to better assure outcomes through combining expert professional judgement with powerful technology.  

Max Haining, Founder & CEO, 100 School which support companies to use AI, said:

Organisations have the tools what's missing is the bridge from access to genuine capability. Our challenge-based approach closes that gap through structured practice and peer accountability, turning scattered AIusage into lasting, measurable behaviour change.