Tech giant Databricks has laid out plans to train 100,000 people across the UK and Ireland in AI and data within the next three years.

Partnering with more than forty UK universities and the UK Government, Databricks said it will work to reinforce the country’s AI skills pipeline, democratize data and AI education, and accelerate certification in related skills.

Backing its new training regime with $10 million (£7.4m) in funding, as well as free access to its flagship Data Intelligence Platform, Databricks said it will focus on building genAI, data engineering, machine learning, and analytics skills, aiming to help close the widening digital skills gap in the UK.

According to World Economic Forum figures cited by Databricks, workers worldwide can expect almost 40% of their existing skill sets to become obsolete in the next five years, meaning AI expertise will soon be essential.

Added to that, a recent survey from FDM Group shows that over half (54%) of organisations say AI skills will now be required in all early-career roles, making Databricks’ plan to offer free training to students particularly timely.

“Businesses are reaching a key moment in growing their use of AI. By pairing advanced training with the power of Agent Bricks, we’re helping local enterprises quickly and safely scale trusted AI apps and agents,“ said Samuel Bonamigo, Databricks senior vice president and general manager for the EMEA region.

The expansion of the company’s global AI education program, dubbed ‘Free Edition’, will also see the firm take part in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s “Get Tech Certified this Autumn” program, a three-month scheme delivering free training in AI and machine learning to public sector employees.

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This marks the latest in a series of similar initiatives that has seen the government partner with major tech companies to boost AI training, all in the aid of delivering on Labour’s much hyped AI policies.

In June, industry giants Amazon, Google, IBM, Sage, and Salesforce, among others joined a new government-industry partnership to foster AI skills for up to a fifth of the UK’s workforce, and Microsoft alone committing to equip 1 million people in the UK with the skills to navigate an AI-enabled economy. 

Other smaller efforts, like Multiverse’s plan to train 15,000 AI apprentices and the launch of an Enterprise AI Academy by Corndel and Imperial, are evidence that industry is eager to ensure the UK workforce can keep up with the rapid evolution of AI technology, and keep themselves from falling behind rivals, especially those AI firms operating in China.