Welsh Employees Investing in AI Skills

Research from Robert Half and the Cebr finds that 62% of workers in Wales are funding their own artificial intelligence training to seek jobs in the industry within the next five years.

By Maggie Mancini

Employees in Wales are more likely to invest in AI training in the next five years than any other region in the U.K., though few believe that the technology will replace their job, according to research from Robert Half in collaboration with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr).  

The study finds that 62% of Welsh workers are funding their own AI training, with 59% planning to retrain and move into a field that’s more focussed on AI over the next five years, above the national average of 40%. Unlike London, where employees remain concerned about the impact AI will have on job stability, just under a third of Welsh employees believe their jobs will be replaced by AI in the next year, compared to nearly half (49%) of Londoners. An additional 40% of Welsh workers believe that AI will replace their jobs within five years, though that’s still below 61% of London’s workers.  

As Welsh employees increasingly dedicate themselves to improving AI skills, Microsoft is planning to invest £2.5bn in AI data centres in South Wales.