UK workers spending full days weekly on AI learning as skills gap widens

The urgency of AI upskilling has reached unprecedented levels, with almost one in ten UK workers now dedicating an entire day each week to learning artificial intelligence skills—a trend that carries significant implications for further and higher education providers.

New research reveals a stark disconnect between workplace demands and workforce preparedness. Adobe’s Future of Skills survey of 2,003 UK respondents found that whilst 45% of hiring managers identify AI and automation as the most sought-after skills in new candidates, one in three report a significant skills gap in precisely these areas.

The findings arrive at a critical juncture for the education sector, highlighting the scale of demand for flexible, accessible AI and digital skills training that extends well beyond traditional student populations.

The self-learning imperative

Perhaps most striking is the scale of independent learning now taking place outside formal education settings. Self-paced online courses have emerged as the preferred learning format for 42% of workers—a preference that reflects the flexibility required by working learners juggling employment with skills development.

This shift towards autonomous learning extends beyond technical skills. Nine out of ten next-generation learners believe building a personal brand or online presence will benefit their future careers, whilst nearly a fifth of under-30s now earn supplementary income by selling products and services online—a dramatic shift from previous generations, where one in three over-50s worked in retail whilst students.

“UK workers are eager to evolve and recognise that creative and AI skills are now essential for career success,” said Simon Morris, VP, International Marketing at Adobe. “Those who combine human creativity with AI fluency are not only gaining confidence; they’re also gaining a competitive edge in the workplace.”

A tale of two workforces

The research exposes a troubling divide in skills preparedness. Workers settled in employment and not actively job-seeking are twice as likely to feel unprepared for tomorrow’s workplace compared to those searching for new roles (22% vs 11%). This complacency carries implications not merely for individual career trajectories but for productivity and competitiveness at a national level.

Moreover, settled workers are 50% less likely to feel completely prepared for using AI tools than their job-hunting counterparts—suggesting that the motivation to upskill remains closely tied to immediate employment pressures rather than a culture of lifelong learning.

This presents a significant challenge: how can the sector engage those most at risk of skills obsolescence—the employed but complacent—when immediate job-seeking pressures aren’t driving behaviour?

Beyond technical skills: the creativity imperative

Whilst AI dominates current discourse, the research reveals creativity holding equal if not greater importance in workers’ minds. Some 44% of UK respondents cite creativity as a must-have skill for the future, whilst 38% prioritise AI capabilities. For next-generation learners, 53% say creativity plays a major role in their long-term career goals.

This dual requirement—technical proficiency married to creative capability—highlights opportunities for education providers to develop integrated programmes. The data suggests employers expect both: 73% of employees report their organisation now expects creative and visual communication skills, with 84% saying this expectation has increased in just three years.

With the UK’s creative industries contributing over £123 billion to the economy, these skills have moved decisively from optional to foundational—a shift that demands curriculum response across the sector.

Filling the gap

The findings highlight a significant gap between demand and provision that organisations like Adobe are now moving to address. The company has expanded its Digital Academy across the UK, making courses available on LinkedIn Learning, YouTube, and Coursera. These platforms offer the flexibility and immediacy that workers increasingly require, delivered at scale to learners at every career stage.

Adobe’s partnerships with organisations including The King’s Trust and General Assembly demonstrate one emerging model: collaboration between technology companies, training providers, and traditional education institutions to reach diverse learner populations.

Yet 19% of workers feel they lack the creative and digital skills needed to thrive in an AI-shaped future—a gap that represents genuine opportunity for providers who can respond with relevant, flexible provision. With two-thirds of job seekers believing AI skills are essential to their dream job, the demand for accessible skills training has never been clearer.

The challenge now is ensuring that training provision—whether from traditional education institutions, technology companies, or new collaborative models—can meet the scale and urgency of need that this research reveals.