Artificial intelligence is transforming the economy, changing how businesses operate, how public services are delivered and the skills people need to succeed.
Our AI Academy is the region's coordinating framework for AI capability, bringing together opportunities for residents, businesses and public service organisations to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to adopt AI safely, responsibly and productively.
Backed by a £10 million investment, the Academy will support AI literacy, AI adoption and AI-enabled transformation, helping ensure the whole region can benefit from the opportunities AI creates.
Three connected areas of activity
- AI for All: AI literacy and adoption
- AI for Growth: business adoption, productivity and workforce capability
- AI for Public Sector: public service transformation and organisational capability
Together these programmes create a region-wide approach to AI capability, helping people, businesses and public services benefit from AI.
The AI Academy aims to:
- Build AI confidence and literacy across the population
- Train 1,000 tutors to embed AI in learning
- Support up to 50,000 learners a year to develop AI literacy by embedding AI skills and awareness across existing employment and skills provision.
- Support businesses to adopt AI and improve productivity
- Strengthen AI leadership capability
- Help public sector adopt AI to improve effectiveness of public services
- Position the West Midlands as the UK's leading region for inclusive AI adoption.
Explore the AI academy pathways
AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday life and work. From communicating, accessing services and managing finances to carrying out tasks in the workplace, people increasingly need the confidence to understand and use AI effectively.
As the academy's flagship area of activity, AI for All aims to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to develop these essential capabilities, helping residents participate fully in an economy and society increasingly shaped by AI.
AI for all is the West Midlands' approach to ensuring everyone can develop the skills and confidence to use AI safely, effectively and productively.
Rather than operating as a standalone programme, AI capability will be embedded across adult education, community learning and vocational training, enabling learners to develop AI skills alongside English, maths and sector-specific training in areas such as construction, hospitality, manufacturing, and health and social care.
Over time, AI learning will become embedded across our wider skills system through the training of 1,000 tutors, helping up to 50,000 learners each year access AI learning opportunities.
AI for Growth is the West Midlands' coordinated approach to supporting business adoption of AI.
Bringing together employers, providers, universities and business support organisations, it will connect businesses to relevant expertise, learning and support while helping align activity across the regional ecosystem.
Through this collective approach, AI for Growth will support the development of workforce capability, leadership capacity and the adoption of AI to drive productivity and innovation.
AI for Public Sector supports public service organisations to build the capability, confidence and culture needed to adopt AI responsibly and effectively.
Through leadership development, workforce learning and the sharing of practical innovation, the Academy will help public sector organisations explore how AI can improve services, increase productivity and deliver better outcomes for residents.
Rather than establishing a separate programme, AI for Public Sector will create opportunities for organisations to learn from one another and build AI capability across the wider public sector system.
Get involved
Further details about the programmes and how to access them will be published in early 2027.