AI Skills Boost: Get free government-backed AI training for your business

Your people are probably using AI, whether your business has officially adopted it or not.

From drafting invoice reminders and summarising meeting notes in seconds, to getting help with prospecting templates or ideas, AI has crept into everyday work.

That’s the context for the AI Skills Boost, a UK government initiative designed to help millions of workers build practical, foundational AI skills by 2030. It’s delivered in partnership with major technology providers, including Sage.

It’s live right now. So, let’s take a look at what it could mean for you and your team:

What is the AI Skills Boost?

The question for most small businesses isn’t whether AI matters. It’s where to start, and how to embrace it without overwhelming your team.

AI Skills Boost is the answer. It’s available through the AI Skills Hub and is designed to help people understand and use AI productively, safely, and responsibly at work.

The pathway courses are designed for the real-world, in that they’re:

• Entry-level and non-technical
• Focused on productivity, not theory
• Free to access and self-paced
• Designed for everyday roles, not just IT teams

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.

Completing the selected pathways also unlocks a digital AI skills badge, which learners can use on LinkedIn or email signatures.

Sage’s AI experience and expertise in the AI Skills Boost

As part of the AI Skills Boost, Sage has contributed an AI Fundamentals for Business pathway (note: free registration is required), which is included among the recommended foundational options on the Hub.

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’t) be used.

For small businesses already thinking about AI or unsure where to begin, it offers you a practical, low-risk starting point.

If you’d like a broader overview of how AI applies to small businesses (including common use cases and pitfalls to avoid) the Start Strong with AI for Small Businesses guide provides a simple introduction.

Why AI skills matter for your small business

There is no shortage of AI tools available to small businesses, but you may be uncertain.

Your team may worry about using AI incorrectly, may not know where it fits into their work, or may assume it’s only for the tech-savvy. Inevitably, you’ll end up with patchy adoption and miss opportunities.

AI Skills Boost is designed to remove that friction by:

• Building a shared baseline understanding across teams
• Increasing confidence in everyday AI use
• Helping businesses get more value from tools they may already have

In short, it’s about confidence before complexity.

What AI looks like in practice

In the Sage AI Action Workbook, there are examples of businesses that have made small changes to deliver fast, real results.

Tyne Chease, a UK food business, uses Sage Ai to support everyday finance tasks such as invoice chasing.

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.

There was no major transformation programme. No technical rebuild. Just one routine task improved with AI, resulting in clear, measurable benefits.

This is exactly what the AI Skills Boost is designed to support: helping teams see what’s possible, build confidence, and then decide what to do next.

How to use the AI Skills Boost effectively in your business

The programme works best if you treat it as a team-wide baseline, not a one-off experiment.

Use the AI Skills Boost by:

• Sharing the sign-up link internally
• Encouraging staff to complete a short foundational pathway
• Using it as a common reference point for future conversations about AI and digital tools

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.

How to get started with AI skills

AI adoption isn’t slowing down and it’s proving to be more than a flash in the pan.

Building foundational skills now means your team can adapt confidently, experiment responsibly, and make better decisions as tools evolve.

AI Skills Boost has arrived at just the right time. It’s free, flexible, and designed for real work, rather than abstract theory.

Start by exploring the AI Skills Boost on the AI Skills Hub, then dig down into Sage’s AI Fundamentals for Business pathway.