{"id":28483,"date":"2026-01-30T12:54:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T12:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=28483"},"modified":"2026-02-02T14:25:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T14:25:52","slug":"ai-skills-boost-get-free-government-backed-ai-training-for-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-skills-boost-get-free-government-backed-ai-training-for-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Skills Boost: Get free government-backed AI training for your business"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAI Skills Boost: Get free government-backed AI training for your business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-01-30T12:54:19+00:00\">30 January, 2026<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"AI Skills Boost: Get free government-backed AI training for your business\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-skills-boost-get-free-government-backed-ai-training-for-your-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/asavinwattanajantra\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Asavin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin-810x810.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Asavin.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Asavin Wattanajantra<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Your people are probably using AI, whether your business has officially adopted it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From drafting invoice reminders and summarising meeting notes in seconds, to getting help with prospecting templates or ideas, AI has crept into everyday work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s the context for the <a href=\"https:\/\/aiskillshub.org.uk\/aiskillsboost\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI Skills Boost<\/a>, a UK government initiative designed to help millions of workers build practical, foundational AI skills by 2030. It&#8217;s delivered in partnership with major technology providers, including Sage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s live right now. So, let\u2019s take a look at what it could mean for you and your team:<\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-what-is-the-ai-skills-boost\" data-level=\"2\">What is the AI Skills Boost?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-sage-s-ai-experience-and-expertise-in-the-ai-skills-boost\" data-level=\"2\">Sage&#8217;s AI experience and expertise in the AI Skills Boost<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-ai-skills-matter-for-your-small-business\" data-level=\"2\">Why AI skills matter for your small business<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-ai-looks-like-in-practice\" data-level=\"2\">What AI looks like in practice<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-use-the-ai-skills-boost-effectively-in-your-business\" data-level=\"2\">How to use the AI Skills Boost effectively in your business<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-get-started-with-ai-skills\" data-level=\"2\">How to get started with AI skills<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-ai-skills-boost\">What is the AI Skills Boost?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The question for most small businesses isn\u2019t whether AI matters. It\u2019s where to start, and how to embrace it without overwhelming your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI Skills Boost is the answer. It\u2019s available through the <a href=\"https:\/\/aiskillshub.org.uk\/\">AI Skills Hub<\/a> and is designed to help people understand and use AI productively, safely, and responsibly at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pathway courses are designed for the real-world, in that they\u2019re:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Entry-level and non-technical<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Focused on productivity, not theory<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Free to access and self-paced<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Designed for everyday roles, not just IT teams<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Individuals sign up directly through the AI Skills Hub and can choose from a range of options, some taking as little as 20 minutes to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Completing the selected pathways also unlocks a digital AI skills badge, which learners can use on LinkedIn or email signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sage-s-ai-experience-and-expertise-in-the-ai-skills-boost\">Sage&#8217;s AI experience and expertise in the AI Skills Boost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the AI Skills Boost, Sage has contributed an <a href=\"http:\/\/sageu.com\/AI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI Fundamentals for Business pathway<\/a>, which is included among the recommended foundational options on the Hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pathway focuses on practical business scenarios, helping people understand where AI can support productivity and decision-making, as well as when it should (and shouldn\u2019t) be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For small businesses already thinking about AI or unsure where to begin, it offers you a practical, low-risk starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d like a broader overview of how AI applies to small businesses (including common use cases and pitfalls to avoid) the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/real-value-ai-small-business\/\">Start Strong with AI for Small Businesses guide<\/a> provides a simple introduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">AI fundamentals for business<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"http:\/\/sageu.com\/AI\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-28481\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Start now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1392324314-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1392324314-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-ai-skills-matter-for-your-small-business\">Why AI skills matter for your small business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no shortage of AI tools available to small businesses, but you may be uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your team may worry about using AI incorrectly, may not know where it fits into their work, or may assume it&#8217;s only for the tech-savvy. Inevitably, you\u2019ll end up with patchy adoption and miss opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI Skills Boost is designed to remove that friction by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Building a shared baseline understanding across teams<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increasing confidence in everyday AI use<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Helping businesses get more value from tools they may already have<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, it\u2019s about confidence before complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-ai-looks-like-in-practice\">What AI looks like in practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/from-ready-to-results-in-30-days-your-ai-action-workbook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sage AI Action Workbook<\/a>, there are examples of businesses that have made small changes to deliver fast, real results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/success-stories\/tyne-chease\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tyne Chease<\/a>, a UK food business, uses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sage Ai<\/a> to support everyday finance tasks such as invoice chasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By automating part of a process they were doing manually, the business got paid up to seven days faster and saved around 14 hours of admin time every week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was no major transformation programme. No technical rebuild. Just one routine task improved with AI, resulting in clear, measurable benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is exactly what the AI Skills Boost is designed to support: helping teams see what\u2019s possible, build confidence, and then decide what to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-use-the-ai-skills-boost-effectively-in-your-business\">How to use the AI Skills Boost effectively in your business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The programme works best if you treat it as a team-wide baseline, not a one-off experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the AI Skills Boost by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sharing the sign-up link internally<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encouraging staff to complete a short foundational pathway<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Using it as a common reference point for future conversations about AI and digital tools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because the training is flexible and self-paced, it can fit around busy schedules and helps those in your team start from the same understanding rather than learning in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-get-started-with-ai-skills\">How to get started with AI skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>AI adoption isn&#8217;t slowing down and it&#8217;s proving to be more than a flash in the pan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Building foundational skills now means your team can adapt confidently, experiment responsibly, and make better decisions as tools evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI Skills Boost has arrived at just the right time. It\u2019s free, flexible, and designed for real work, rather than abstract theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start by exploring the <a href=\"https:\/\/aiskillshub.org.uk\/aiskillsboost\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI Skills Boost on the AI Skills Hub<\/a>, then dig down into <a href=\"http:\/\/sageu.com\/AI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sage\u2019s AI Fundamentals for Business pathway<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">AI fundamentals for business<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Created as part of the UK-government AI Skills Hub, this course from the experts at Sage helps you rethink AI, understand its role, and apply it confidently.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"http:\/\/sageu.com\/AI\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-28481\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Start now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1392324314-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1392324314-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AI is already part of everyday work. The government\u2019s free pathways help businesses build confidence and learn practical skills. Learn more in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":356,"featured_media":16442,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[50,17,44],"business_type":[4],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75],"imagine_tag":[309,328],"coauthors":[351],"class_list":["post-28483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-ai","tag-government-funding","tag-training","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Asavin Wattanajantra","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1414921475.jpg","imagine_tags":{"309":"AI Hub","328":"AI small"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/356"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/16442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28483"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=28483"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=28483"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=28483"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=28483"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=28483"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=28483"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=28483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}