Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Prime Minister's remarks on 12 June about the UK becoming a global leader in AI, what assessment they have made of whether there is a skills gap which might impede this; and if so, what steps they are taking to address that gap.

In March 2023, the government published its plan to cement the UK’s position as a Science and Technology superpower. As part of this, the department identified five critical technologies to deliver prosperity and security for the UK, including artificial intelligence (AI). The plan can be found in the attached document.

To support this ambition, the department is working on a cross-government action plan on science and technology talent and skills with the Home Office, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Department for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office. In 2023, the department is developing a departmental Skills Dashboard to understand the supply and demand of science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills for critical technologies, including AI.

Digital and computing skills will play an important role in this work. The department has made progress in recent years, for example this year’s provisional entries for Computer Science GCSEs and A levels show 12% and 14% growth respectively, the highest of all sciences. However, we recognise that there is more work to be done.

This is why the department has overhauled the outdated Information and Communications Technology (ICT) curriculum and replaced it with computing. The department has also invested over £100 million in the National Centre for Computing Education to inspire the next generation of computer scientists.

The department is also investing more in technical skills and education, with courses and training in digital subjects often at the forefront of our reforms. Digital T Levels, Higher Technical Qualifications, Apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps are ensuring we meet the skills needs for our priority technologies, including those increasingly needed for AI.

The department is building on these initiatives through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce which brings together government and external expertise to increase the numbers of individuals taking digital and computing qualifications in mainstream and tertiary education, and to attract individuals into digital jobs.