UK Government’s Assessment of Priority Skills to 2030 Report projects increased demand for AI Professionals
The market for IT and Coding professionals with AI skills is growing and the UK workforce needs to adapt quickly.
In an effort to address the skills gap in the UK, the Government has released a detailed analysis of future employment needs across ten critical sectors. The Assessment of Priority Skills to 2030 Report reveals a high demand for skills training, and consequently, the need for targeted investment in quality training.
Notably, seven out of the ten critical sectors list programmers and software developers, as well as IT analysts, architects and system designers as priority occupations. This demand appears to be down to one key anomaly: AI.
Written by
Rachel has over 30 years of experience in education, vocational learning, and skills development. She leads on developing the curriculums and career pathways we offer at Learning People to ensure optimal employment outcomes for everyone that learns with us.
The time for the UK to be AI-ready is now
It's clear from this report that roles in IT and tech remain resilient to job market instability. AI, in particular, presents a new wealth of opportunities across a range of sectors.
Digital Technologies and Construction are amongst the top-five of sectors that are projected to experience the largest increase in job demand from 2025 to 2030.
Primarily, it is employment in the Clean Energy and Housebuilding industries that is forecasted to need to expand the fastest. In both these sectors and subsequent industries, stakeholders emphasised the growing importance of programming, IT and digital roles. The report additionally highlights the ‘uncertainty’ in predicting workforce needs because of wider technological developments - primarily AI.
Off the back of the UK Government’s insight, business communications provider Esendex (using Reed data) analysed AI and automation job listings and training courses across 17 key industries. They found 11,365 active vacancies for automation and AI roles, with AI representing 69% of these and automation making up the remaining 31%.
“Among the most in-demand roles were…
...data engineer (30%) and python engineer (25%) in AI. This, the company [Esendex] noted, suggests a sharper hiring focus on infrastructure and the programming needs required to fuel AI development.” - ITPro, August 2025
Honing in one case study, Yahoo News and the Dorset Echo reported that nearly one in five residents in Dorset are missing out on job opportunities due to a lack of tech skills.
It’s clear that the UK skills gap is a huge issue - and that comprehensive AI training is one way to combat this.
Getting ahead of the competition in an AI-focused job market
With the UK facing a growing digital skills crisis, setting yourself apart with quality AI certifications in a competitive job market has never been more vital. Pivoting to a career in IT or Coding with foundational knowledge of AI, promises job-security, diverse workloads and high salaries.
I've definitely noticed an increase in people wanting to upskill in AI specifically...
"Spotting a shift in the job market and making moves to appeal to more employers is obviously a smart thing to do. Adding high-quality AI certifications to your toolkit is crucial if you want to stand out.”
The world of work is changing fast and AI is at the heart of that change - we’re serious about preparing our students to thrive in this new landscape. As a result, all of our Careers Pathways include AI-focused content relevant to your chosen field, so you’ll gain practical, job-ready AI skills alongside your main training.
Not sure where to start? A free consultation with one of our expert Career Consultants will kick start your journey. Whether you’re looking to change your career or upskill, we will help you design your personal learning pathway.
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