Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the country has the skills required for jobs in artificial intelligence industries.

On 13 January, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, agreed to take forward all 50 recommendations set out by Matt Clifford in his Artificial Intelligence (AI) Opportunities Action Plan. This included recommendations on AI Skills and Talent.

In addition to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the new Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors in which the UK excels today and will propel it forward tomorrow. Digital and Technologies has been identified as one of the eight growth-driving sectors and the department is currently consulting on the barriers to growth, including skills, in this sector.

This government is committed to ensuring both learners and employers have access to crucial digital and AI skills that have the potential to increase productivity and create new high value jobs in the UK economy. To achieve this, the department will build a responsive skills system, coordinated through Skills England, to deliver on the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade.

​​The digital skills pipeline starts with the school system. The department funds the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) to improve the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science at GCSE and A level across England. To support the teaching of AI, the NCCE delivers a range of courses on machine learning, ethics and teaching about AI in primary and secondary computing and also facilitates industry-led events for pupils to raise awareness of opportunities and careers in sectors such as AI.

The department already provides a range of post-16 academic and technical qualifications relevant to AI skills. Developed in partnership with employers, there are currently 34 apprenticeship standards in digital occupations, including at degree level and in areas like AI.

Learners can study three Digital T Levels which include AI content and there are 77 digital Higher Technical Qualifications approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers, including AI skills. Skills Bootcamps are available in digital, including AI and machine learning, with the latest published data showing that the majority of Skills Bootcamps were in the digital sector, with 61% of starts in digital for the 2022/23 financial year.

The higher education (HE) system continues to be a route for those seeking the skills required for a career in AI. There are a range of high quality AI courses available and, in 2022, 46,000 students graduated from an AI-relevant HE programme in the UK.