Why workforce AI skills start in schools - an AI in Education perspective

The AI Skills for the UK Workforce report offers one of the most detailed analyses yet of the challenges the UK faces in preparing people for an AI-driven economy. Its findings are striking: across all ten priority sectors - from health and finance to manufacturing, defence and the creative industries - organisations are struggling with the same core issue: the UK simply does not have enough people with the AI skills needed for the future. And those gaps are widening.

What is especially important from an education perspective is this: almost every barrier highlighted in the report begins long before people reach the workplace. Digital exclusion, a lack of foundational digital literacy, inconsistent understanding of AI, and deeply uneven access to training all stem from inequalities that develop throughout schooling and early life .

The workforce challenge is an education challenge

The report describes profound disparities in AI readiness across sectors. Whether it is clinicians interpreting AI-enabled diagnostics, construction workers navigating AI-supported planning tools, or HR professionals auditing bias in recruitment algorithms, the demand for AI-related skills is accelerating faster than training systems can cope.

Yet one of the strongest findings is that foundational skills - confidence, critical thinking, digital fluency and basic AI literacy - matter just as much as technical expertise. These are the very skills schools are best placed to build.

The report shows that adults entering AI training often lack the digital basics: managing files, navigating interfaces, evaluating outputs or understanding data risks. If we want a workforce capable of using AI ethically and effectively, these competencies must be developed much earlier.

The cost of waiting until adulthood

Across all ten sectors, organisations face:

- limited understanding of what “AI skills” actually are

- fragmented, inaccessible training

- major barriers for SMEs

- regional inequalities

- a lack of confidence among low-income adults, older workers and those returning to the workforce

Schools and colleges can’t solve all of this - but they can prevent much of it. When students leave the education system already comfortable with AI tools, aware of ethical risks, fluent in digital environments, and able to adapt to new technologies, the burden on employers is dramatically reduced.

Education must lead, not follow

The report introduces three tools - the AI Skills Framework, the AI Skills Adoption Pathway Model, and the Employer Adoption Checklist - designed to help employers understand and plan their workforce development needs.

What is striking is how closely these align with what we already advocate in the AiEd Certified Framework:

- clear definitions of AI literacy

- emphasis on ethical and responsible AI use

- focus on non-technical skills such as critical evaluation and communication

- whole-organisation planning

- structured pathways towards maturity

If we expect employers to use frameworks like these, schools must be supported to build equivalent structures - so that future employees arrive ready to engage, contribute and lead.

Why this matters now

The report reinforces that AI skills are transferable across sectors and are rapidly becoming essential, not specialist. The UK risks widening inequality and losing economic competitiveness if only certain schools, regions or demographic groups gain meaningful access to AI education.

This is why AI in Education is pushing for a national, coherent, education-led approach. The workforce of 2030 is in our classrooms today. Every young person - regardless of postcode, background or starting point - deserves the chance to become AI-confident and future-ready.

A national mission

The workforce report is a wake-up call. The UK cannot hope to fix AI skills shortages through employer training alone. Schools and colleges must be part of the national skills pipeline - not an afterthought.

At AI in Education, we will continue working with schools, colleges, MATs and national bodies to ensure that AI literacy, ethical understanding and critical engagement become universal. Workforce readiness begins with educational readiness - and the time to act is now.

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