US data and AI unicorn Databricks has announced plans to train 100,000 people in the UK over the next three years in generative AI and associated skills.
There has been a push in the country to rapidly increase the supply of workers trained in AI and data, seen by the government as key to fulfilling its Modern Industrial Strategy.
Several major companies including Microsoft, Google, IBM and eBay have pledged to invest time and resources in supporting the prime minister’s wider goal of upskilling as many as 7.5 million British workers.
Databricks has become the latest by offering free versions of its education and training programmes through partnerships with government bodies, including the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, as well as universities.
The training will include skills related to generative AI, data engineering, machine learning and analytics.
“We are proud to be at the heart of the UK and Ireland’s data and AI ecosystem,” said Michael Green, UK and Ireland managing director at Databricks.
“Our growing team is helping students, customers and partners to keep up with the fast-changing AI landscape. The right data and AI skills are essential in enabling UK and Irish businesses to scale AI agents and remain competitive on a global stage.”
Part of the company’s pledge is the University Alliance Programme that will see it partner with more than 40 universities in the UK and Ireland including the London School of Economics (LSE), University College Dublin, University of Salford, and University of Sheffield.
“Providing our data science students with the latest data and AI skills is something we take great pride in,” said Dr Marcos Barreto, associate professor of data science and lead on AI for the Department of Statistics at the LSE.
“By being part of the Databricks University Alliance programme, our students can learn the latest in big data programming and analytics, which is essential to flourish in the fast-paced AI sector.”
