It’s easy to overlook just how quickly artificial intelligence has burst onto the scene, but consider this: mainstream generative AI is only two and a half years old. That’s significantly younger than the average houseplant—and arguably more likely to outgrow your expectations. Yet, its roots have already wrapped tightly around nearly every major sector, promising to revolutionise the workplace, the classroom, the hospital, and yes, even dinner parties (who knew an algorithm could recommend the perfect cheese pairing?). It’s no wonder Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman is so passionate about getting the entire United Kingdom on board. If the AI train is barrelling forward, the last thing anyone wants is to be the lone commuter stuck on the platform, frowning at yesterday’s timetable.
Microsoft’s ambitions are not subtle—a million people in the UK, upskilled in artificial intelligence, by the end of 2025. That’s one in roughly every 67 UK residents. Forget “digital literacy”; this is about arming the nation for an era when AI is less a distant sci-fi concept and more of an everyday companion—whether that’s a diligent meeting summariser, a real-time data wrangler, or just the thing that makes the Monday inbox feel a little less scary.
So, why the rush? Beyond rapid tech advances, a 2024 report by the independent consultancy Public First forecasted a jaw-dropping £550bn potential boost to the UK’s economy by 2035, all courtesy of AI. That number’s enough to turn even the most hardened tech skeptic into a passionate AI evangelist. But there’s a problem: while AI is becoming omnipresent, access to the skills needed to wield it remains stubbornly uneven.
According to Microsoft and LinkedIn’s Work Trends Index, two-thirds of business leaders now say they wouldn’t hire someone lacking AI skills. And yet, only a quarter of global companies are actually offering training in generative AI. It’s the corporate equivalent of complaining about the rain while refusing to hand out umbrellas.
But even the most powerful digital butler is useless if nobody knows how to ask for a clean shirt. Hardman is crystal clear: harnessing AI’s power requires people who know how to wield it. The answer isn’t to resist or to wait for the dust to settle—it’s to skill up, fast, and to reimagine what learning and adaptability look like for this new era.
But unlike the IT training VHS tapes of yesteryear, today’s AI learning is dynamic, inclusive, and practical. It’s teaching people to write smart, concise prompts. It’s helping them build custom agents to take care of repetitive tasks. And it’s fostering a wider “nationwide culture of learning,” one that stretches from government halls right down to grassroots community hubs.
Let’s put that into perspective. Imagine a stadium packed with one million people: doctors, teachers, bakers, apprentices, recent graduates, mid-career switchers, and retirees looking to re-enter the workforce. Now picture them all, together, taking a leap into an AI-driven future—not because they have to, but because the tools and support are suddenly there, right at their fingertips.
Microsoft’s tie-in with Luminate Education Group, operating six colleges across West Yorkshire, is a masterstroke in inclusive skilling. By embedding AI tools and skills into every course, they’re preparing tens of thousands of staff and students for the job markets of tomorrow. Every lesson, whether it’s plumbing or philosophy, will carry an undercurrent of AI literacy.
Further south, there’s University Academy 92 (UA92), from whose corridors waft not just new ideas but genuine opportunity. The academy collaborates with Microsoft to offer access to industry certifications, mentorship, masterclasses, and even hackathons. The result? A steady pipeline of graduates from underserved backgrounds, now packing both a diploma and a digital edge.
Meanwhile, partners like Multiverse, Corndel, and QA are weaving Copilot and related AI tools straight into their syllabi. The old world of “learn on the job” and “learn AI in the abstract” is colliding, and the result is a generation of workers and creators who are as comfortable fine-tuning models as they are formatting Word docs.
The power of pure visibility can’t be understated here. Many AI neophytes simply don’t realise how accessible these tools have become. A neighbour, a shop assistant, a local charity worker: when these figures return from Microsoft-led trainings and start using Copilot in daily life, the excitement and know-how ripple outwards.
Yes, there’s an undeniable need for new code, snazzy algorithms, and smarter tools. But there’s an equally burning need for diversity of thought, experience, and leadership at the table where AI is designed. TechHer isn’t just closing the gender gap—it’s creating leaders, advocates, and trailblazers who will shape what tomorrow’s AI looks like, and who it serves.
Microsoft’s partnerships with further education colleges and universities ensure AI training isn’t a side dish, but part of the main curriculum. This isn’t about prepping a select few for “AI jobs”—it’s about preparing everyone, in every field, to harness AI tools to do their best work, make smarter decisions, and adapt to a world where the only constant is change.
The company’s collaboration with UA92, offering everything from curriculum design to industry certifications, is oriented around those hardest to reach: young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. It’s in these spaces—typically last in line for the latest tech revolution—that the impact of targeted, inclusive AI skilling can be most profound.
But this isn’t a call for panic; it’s an invitation to adapt, to learn, and to embrace change. Hardman wants the UK—its workforce, its leaders, and everyone in between—to be confident not just in their ability to “use” AI, but to direct and customise it. To bend it towards the things they care about. To solve problems they understand intimately, in ways that reflect their needs and values.
The dangers of inaction are as clear as the benefits of progress. Without broad AI literacy, huge swathes of the population risk being left behind in an increasingly digitised world. That’s not just an issue of employability or productivity—it’s an issue of fairness, inclusion, and the health of a modern democracy.
The logic is compelling: AI is not an elite technology. It’s a democratising force, ripe for anyone willing to grab the opportunities it presents. There’s untapped creativity, dormant talent, and nascent ideas bursting from every city, suburb, and village in the UK. All that’s needed is a level playing field, and a little faith in what’s possible.
Gone are the days when technology was something that “happened to” people. In this new era, it’s something to be shaped, remixed, and made personal. With Copilot and its ilk, even the most tech-averse can suddenly become more productive, more creative, and yes—even a little more daring.
Still, the clock is ticking. The “future” that once seemed abstract luxury is barrelling straight at us. It’s up to all of us—not just the titans of tech, but teachers, community workers, small business owners, and emerging professionals—to decide whether to embrace AI’s promise or to be swept aside by its progress.
Hardman’s vision is ambitious, but it’s also completely achievable—if everyone pitches in. Microsoft’s roadmap is well-lit, packed with partners, and fuelled by a belief in the power of education, inclusion, and smart, simple tools.
There’s still time to get on board. Skill up, lean in, get curious. The era of agentic AI isn’t waiting for anyone; but with the right commitment, it can lift up everyone. The revolution won’t just be televised—it’ll be co-authored, one new AI user at a time, by every person determined to flourish, not just survive, in a world remade by intelligent technology.
Source: Microsoft UK Stories Skilling up: Empowering everyone to flourish in the era of agentic AI
From Ambition to Action: Skilling Up for the AI Economy
Microsoft’s ambitions are not subtle—a million people in the UK, upskilled in artificial intelligence, by the end of 2025. That’s one in roughly every 67 UK residents. Forget “digital literacy”; this is about arming the nation for an era when AI is less a distant sci-fi concept and more of an everyday companion—whether that’s a diligent meeting summariser, a real-time data wrangler, or just the thing that makes the Monday inbox feel a little less scary.So, why the rush? Beyond rapid tech advances, a 2024 report by the independent consultancy Public First forecasted a jaw-dropping £550bn potential boost to the UK’s economy by 2035, all courtesy of AI. That number’s enough to turn even the most hardened tech skeptic into a passionate AI evangelist. But there’s a problem: while AI is becoming omnipresent, access to the skills needed to wield it remains stubbornly uneven.
According to Microsoft and LinkedIn’s Work Trends Index, two-thirds of business leaders now say they wouldn’t hire someone lacking AI skills. And yet, only a quarter of global companies are actually offering training in generative AI. It’s the corporate equivalent of complaining about the rain while refusing to hand out umbrellas.
The Agentic AI Revolution: Starring You and Copilot
Agentic AI—a mouthful that simply means AI systems that don’t just suggest, but act. Microsoft’s Copilot is evolving beyond a humble assistant and blossoming into a trusted partner, colleague, researcher, adviser, and sometimes, a saviour from spreadsheet-induced headaches. Whether at home or work, Copilot is learning how to help automate tasks, deliver sharper insights from oceans of data, and liberate humans from the “digital drudgery” that slows everyone down.But even the most powerful digital butler is useless if nobody knows how to ask for a clean shirt. Hardman is crystal clear: harnessing AI’s power requires people who know how to wield it. The answer isn’t to resist or to wait for the dust to settle—it’s to skill up, fast, and to reimagine what learning and adaptability look like for this new era.
A Fifty-Year Head Start—And Fifty Days of Learning
Microsoft isn’t new to this game. Celebrating its 50th anniversary and launching its global AI Skills Fest, Microsoft marked its half-century with another commitment: 50 days of learning, designed to supercharge the population’s AI know-how. This is not empty corporate fireworks—it’s a strategic acceleration, acknowledging that history’s most game-changing technologies are only as effective as the people equipped to exploit them.But unlike the IT training VHS tapes of yesteryear, today’s AI learning is dynamic, inclusive, and practical. It’s teaching people to write smart, concise prompts. It’s helping them build custom agents to take care of repetitive tasks. And it’s fostering a wider “nationwide culture of learning,” one that stretches from government halls right down to grassroots community hubs.
One Million More: Microsoft’s AI Skilling Commitment
You’d be forgiven for thinking a company the size of Microsoft would deliver top-down, one-size-fits-all classroom lectures from the cloud. The picture is the opposite: the AI skilling campaign is diverse, human, and driven by partnerships. The company has already helped 1.5 million people acquire basic digital skills through its free “Get On” programme—and now, it’s doubling down, pledging to skill up another million in artificial intelligence by the end of 2025.Let’s put that into perspective. Imagine a stadium packed with one million people: doctors, teachers, bakers, apprentices, recent graduates, mid-career switchers, and retirees looking to re-enter the workforce. Now picture them all, together, taking a leap into an AI-driven future—not because they have to, but because the tools and support are suddenly there, right at their fingertips.
Learning Hand-in-Hand: Partnerships Powering Progress
The engine behind Microsoft’s audacious goal is collaboration. Large-scale partnerships with non-profits like Generation and Catch 22 are bringing AI bootcamps, workshops, and training courses directly to people who might otherwise miss out. These aren’t Silicon Valley prodigies—the focus is on the under-represented, the overlooked, the dreamers shut out of the digital revolution by circumstance rather than talent.Microsoft’s tie-in with Luminate Education Group, operating six colleges across West Yorkshire, is a masterstroke in inclusive skilling. By embedding AI tools and skills into every course, they’re preparing tens of thousands of staff and students for the job markets of tomorrow. Every lesson, whether it’s plumbing or philosophy, will carry an undercurrent of AI literacy.
Further south, there’s University Academy 92 (UA92), from whose corridors waft not just new ideas but genuine opportunity. The academy collaborates with Microsoft to offer access to industry certifications, mentorship, masterclasses, and even hackathons. The result? A steady pipeline of graduates from underserved backgrounds, now packing both a diploma and a digital edge.
Apprenticeships for a New Era: All Learning is AI Learning
There was a time when “apprenticeship” conjured images of forges, anvils, and calloused hands. Today, every apprenticeship is, at least in part, an AI apprenticeship. Microsoft threw its weight behind this vision during the UK’s National Apprenticeship Week, crafting an “AI Skills for Life Assembly” with GetMyFirstJob that pulled in 30,000 student viewers. Meet the modern apprentice: adaptable, digitally savvy, and—crucially—armed with the power to make AI an everyday ally.Meanwhile, partners like Multiverse, Corndel, and QA are weaving Copilot and related AI tools straight into their syllabi. The old world of “learn on the job” and “learn AI in the abstract” is colliding, and the result is a generation of workers and creators who are as comfortable fine-tuning models as they are formatting Word docs.
Community Power: Spreading the AI Skills Gospel
No upskilling campaign worth its salt would overlook the trusted local champions—the ones who bring technology into people’s lives where they live, work, and play. Enter Ai123, an innovative campaign spearheaded by Microsoft and Neighbourly. Through it, hundreds of volunteers from companies like VMO2, Curry’s, and other business and community partners are fanning out to teach AI skills in workplaces and local hubs. They’re showing—from the factory floor to the high street—that AI isn’t the preserve of experts; it’s for anyone with curiosity and a desire to get ahead.The power of pure visibility can’t be understated here. Many AI neophytes simply don’t realise how accessible these tools have become. A neighbour, a shop assistant, a local charity worker: when these figures return from Microsoft-led trainings and start using Copilot in daily life, the excitement and know-how ripple outwards.
Levelling the Playing Field: Gender Inclusivity and TechHer
The “tech bro” stereotype is at last being dismantled. Microsoft’s TechHer programme is a catalyst, aimed at empowering women to seize their share of the digital revolution. Already, 4,000 women from public sector roles have received digital skills training—government, healthcare, social care, retail. Now, the bar is rising: over 6,000 more women are set to benefit in the coming year.Yes, there’s an undeniable need for new code, snazzy algorithms, and smarter tools. But there’s an equally burning need for diversity of thought, experience, and leadership at the table where AI is designed. TechHer isn’t just closing the gender gap—it’s creating leaders, advocates, and trailblazers who will shape what tomorrow’s AI looks like, and who it serves.
Creating a Culture: The Role of Education
Behind the swirl of figures and forecasts lies an even more fundamental truth: education is where the battle for AI empowerment is won or lost. Formal institutions, community-led organisations, and even self-taught enthusiasts are all vital tributaries feeding into the river of national capability.Microsoft’s partnerships with further education colleges and universities ensure AI training isn’t a side dish, but part of the main curriculum. This isn’t about prepping a select few for “AI jobs”—it’s about preparing everyone, in every field, to harness AI tools to do their best work, make smarter decisions, and adapt to a world where the only constant is change.
The company’s collaboration with UA92, offering everything from curriculum design to industry certifications, is oriented around those hardest to reach: young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. It’s in these spaces—typically last in line for the latest tech revolution—that the impact of targeted, inclusive AI skilling can be most profound.
Too Fast to Wait: Meeting the Challenge Head-On
There’s a paradox at work. AI is accelerating—its sophistication, its importance, its reach—yet the velocity of skilling lags behind. Darren Hardman, echoing Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, warns of a “coming wave”—a rising tide of technological transformation set to sweep across every facet of society.But this isn’t a call for panic; it’s an invitation to adapt, to learn, and to embrace change. Hardman wants the UK—its workforce, its leaders, and everyone in between—to be confident not just in their ability to “use” AI, but to direct and customise it. To bend it towards the things they care about. To solve problems they understand intimately, in ways that reflect their needs and values.
The dangers of inaction are as clear as the benefits of progress. Without broad AI literacy, huge swathes of the population risk being left behind in an increasingly digitised world. That’s not just an issue of employability or productivity—it’s an issue of fairness, inclusion, and the health of a modern democracy.
Everyone’s Business: A Call for Collaboration
One company, even with the reach of Microsoft, can only do so much. True AI empowerment is a team sport, one that requires government, businesses, educators, and communities to pull together. Microsoft is bullish—it wants partners, customers, policymakers to seize this moment, to break down barriers, and to make AI skilling as natural as learning to read or ride a bike.The logic is compelling: AI is not an elite technology. It’s a democratising force, ripe for anyone willing to grab the opportunities it presents. There’s untapped creativity, dormant talent, and nascent ideas bursting from every city, suburb, and village in the UK. All that’s needed is a level playing field, and a little faith in what’s possible.
The Road Ahead: Ready, Set, Skill!
If there’s a refrain running through Microsoft’s efforts, it’s optimism—a conviction that with the right skills, every person and organisation in the UK can thrive in the age of AI. The tools are here. The opportunities are multiplying. The only thing left is to close the gap between potential and practice.Gone are the days when technology was something that “happened to” people. In this new era, it’s something to be shaped, remixed, and made personal. With Copilot and its ilk, even the most tech-averse can suddenly become more productive, more creative, and yes—even a little more daring.
Still, the clock is ticking. The “future” that once seemed abstract luxury is barrelling straight at us. It’s up to all of us—not just the titans of tech, but teachers, community workers, small business owners, and emerging professionals—to decide whether to embrace AI’s promise or to be swept aside by its progress.
Are You In?
Picture this: a UK workforce that’s equally at home with AI-driven automation as it is with cups of tea and queueing etiquette. Where the new normal is not just literacy, but ‘fluency’—a comfort with engaging, questioning, and partnering with the digital agents all around us.Hardman’s vision is ambitious, but it’s also completely achievable—if everyone pitches in. Microsoft’s roadmap is well-lit, packed with partners, and fuelled by a belief in the power of education, inclusion, and smart, simple tools.
There’s still time to get on board. Skill up, lean in, get curious. The era of agentic AI isn’t waiting for anyone; but with the right commitment, it can lift up everyone. The revolution won’t just be televised—it’ll be co-authored, one new AI user at a time, by every person determined to flourish, not just survive, in a world remade by intelligent technology.
Source: Microsoft UK Stories Skilling up: Empowering everyone to flourish in the era of agentic AI
Last edited:
