AI and tech skills provider Multiverse has announced the creation of 15,000 new AI apprenticeships over the next two years.

Founder Euan Blair said the roll-out would support the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, and was a “bold declaration that AI skills must be for everyone”.

According to a report by PwC for the Government Office for Science published in April, adoption of AI will contribute £79.3bn to the UK economy by 2035.

However, employers report acute skills gaps when it comes to AI. More than half of employees say they have received fewer than five hours of training on AI, and only a third of FTSE 100 companies reference AI training in their annual reports.

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The apprenticeships will be delivered across the country with employers including Skanska, Visa, Capita and Legal & General. The company already has 2,200 apprentices enrolled with more than 200 employers.

Katy Dowding, president and CEO at Skanska, said: “The construction industry is a key driver of economic growth, and we are equipping ourselves with the core foundational skills in AI that will ensure we can support our customers in delivering their ambitions, drive efficiency and improve productivity.”

The company already has 25 AI apprentices in place, she added, while L&G has 50 apprentices on AI programmes.

Derrick Hastie, chief technology officer for asset management at L&G, said AI is a “critical enabler of efficiency and growth”.

“AI will soon be embedded in all our delivery teams, to help us create innovative solutions for our customers,” he said. “But technology alone isn’t enough. Education and skills are essential to ensure our people aren’t just observers of change – they’re active architects of it.”

Employers are already enrolling AI apprentices via Multiverse – a mixture of new hires and upskilling existing staff.

Blair said: “Learners will develop skills tailored to their requisite level of expertise, from AI ethics and prompt engineering, to data management and governance, to building and deploying machine learning and AI models.

“All programmes will be delivered by industry-expert coaches, with apprentices’ new skills applied within the day-to-day requirements of their roles.

“Business impact is measured through projects, in the form of new revenue unlocked by skills, or costs avoided through additional productivity.”

Science and technology secretary Peter Kyle welcomed the announcement. This week, the government’s Spending Review will include an £86 billion science and technology investment package.

Kyle said: “Cutting-edge technologies like AI are transforming the way our economy works, so it is vital that British people have the right skills to make the most of the new opportunities tech presents.

“These efforts are central to the ambitions for jobs and growth, at the heart of our Plan for Change.”

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