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Free AI skills training for West Midlands’ growth plans
Academy aims to provide local people with career routes into AI, digital and data jobs as well as upskilling existing workers to help drive economic growth.
The West Midlands has announced a £10m initiative to make the region the “UK’s number one place” for artificial intelligence (AI) skills training as part of the mayor’s growth plan.
The goal is to give every adult in the region free training in how to use AI in their everyday lives at home, work or in the community, with further opportunities for thousands more to develop the technical skills needed to secure jobs.
Regionwide AI Academy
The Growth Plan’s AI training package also includes proposals for a regionwide AI Academy to be set up under a joint project between the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), leading tech companies, colleges, universities, specialist providers and community groups.
The academy aims to provide local people with clear career routes into AI, digital and data jobs as well as upskilling existing workers so they can help drive economic growth and higher productivity.
The West Midlands claims it is already one the UK’s most active AI hubs, with more than 140 AI companies employing 69,500 people, contributing £5.5bn to the economy each year. The three-year AI training programme set out in the Growth Plan seeks to build on this foundation.
“In an age where artificial intelligence is revolutionising industries, the need to give all our communities the AI skills to secure high quality jobs is economically imperative”
The Growth Plan was launched by the mayor Richard Parker last month to provide a blueprint to reboot the regional economy, raise living standards, and put an extra £8,600 back into the pockets of working people.
It sets out to drive a new era of prosperity by creating 100,000 good jobs in fast-growing industries such as digital and AI technology, advanced manufacturing and finance, health and medical technology.
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“In an age where artificial intelligence is revolutionising industries, the need to give all our communities the AI skills to secure high quality jobs is economically imperative,” said Parker. “As jobs become increasingly digital and data-driven, AI will become a core skill just like English or maths. So, if we don’t make AI skills training a priority and readily available to all, then lots of people risk being left behind.”
In the region, the University of Birmingham applies AI in health and robotics and is a Turing Institute member. Coventry University and the Digital Futures Institute at Aston University are leading in areas like cybersecurity, fintech and supply chains, and the University of Wolverhampton has launched the Centre for Cyber Resilience and AI, while pioneering sustainable computing to reduce the power needed to train and run large AI models.
Local skills initiatives
The £10m for inclusive AI innovation is part of a wider £30m package included in the Growth Plan to provide support for bold, local skills initiatives. It will fund locally driven solutions to turbocharge jobs and skills support and tackle deep-rooted barriers to opportunity, productivity and inclusion.
The wider package also includes £10m to develop bespoke training programmes that businesses can shape and invest in to give people the skills to work in fast growing sectors of the economy like green technology, advanced manufacturing and construction.
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How will the AI Academy improve digital skills across the West Midlands?What role do universities play in advancing AI and cybersecurity locally?How can AI training boost economic growth and job creation regionally?What strategies support inclusive access to AI and digital education?How does AI integration enhance productivity in advanced manufacturing sectors?5GAI and Machine LearningAI CityXchange - AI FoundationsBirminghamConnectivity & Datacybersecuritydigital inclusioneconomic developmentGovernance and CitizeninclusivityPeople and Skillsurban space
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