June 01, 2026

Accenture Reaches More than One Million People in the UK with Digital and AI Skills Initiative to Support Access to Work and Services

LONDON; June 1, 2026 – Accenture (NYSE:ACN) today announced that programmes supported by its Regenerative AI initiative have reported reaching more than one million people across the UK, empowering individuals to build digital and AI skills and access the tools needed to participate in an increasingly digital economy and society.

To date, the initiative has helped more than one million people, particularly those from historically underserved backgrounds, to access devices and connectivity, build confidence using digital tools and develop practical AI skills for work and everyday tasks.

Evidence from the initiative shows that practical, people-first interventions can deliver meaningful improvements in confidence and independence, helping people use AI to access information, apply for jobs, and manage everyday tasks.

Despite rapid advances in AI, nearly eight million people in the UK still lack basic digital skills and risk being excluded from its benefits. This includes young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), workers in transition, school children and older adults navigating digital services. With around 90% of jobs in the UK now advertised online, access to digital and AI skills is critical to participation in the labour market and wider economy.

Accenture’s Regenerative AI initiative focuses on expanding access to technology and building relevant digital and AI skills, delivered through a combination of online learning, in-person training and community-based programmes.

The milestone marks the achievement of Accenture’s commitment in 2024 to help tackle the UK’s digital skills gap by working with partners across the public, private and third sectors to deliver practical training in historically underserved communities.

Matt Prebble, Head of Accenture in the UK & Ireland, said: “Technology should expand opportunities, not limit them. Supporting more than one million people across the UK is an important milestone but also highlights how many are still being asked to catch up with a world that is rapidly becoming AI-driven. Getting people online is important, but what really matters now is equipping them with AI skills - giving them the confidence to use new tools, adapt to change, and access better opportunities. For many, applying for jobs, accessing essential services or managing finances are already digital by default, and increasingly shaped by AI. Our Regenerative AI initiative is about meeting people where they are and giving them the skills and confidence to take part and succeed in an AI-powered society and economy.”

AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: "Getting Britons from all walks of life ready to seize the opportunities that AI offers is one of the most critical tasks facing Government and society today. Businesses like Accenture, who are supporting our AI Skills Boost campaign to give 10 million workers key AI skills by 2030, have an important role to play in the UK's AI upskilling mission. Through work like this and our forthcoming AI Adoption Summit, together we can all help more Britons use technology to thrive."

Accenture has delivered the initiative in partnership with a network of community organisations and charities, supporting individuals who face barriers to digital access and employment, including:

• Young people in education: working with partners such as Tech She Can to deliver digital and AI learning in schools, including a national AI roadshow reaching pupils from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Job seekers and NEETs: partnering with organisations including Stay Nimble and Movement to Work to provide practical support and career coaching in how to use AI tools.
• Workers and career switchers: offering accessible online learning, including courses developed with FutureLearn, to help individuals understand and apply digital and AI skills.
• Historically underserved communities: working with Good Things Foundation and 8,000 community locations, through its National Digital Inclusion Network, to provide access to devices, connectivity, digital and AI skills via their AI Gateway online learning platform.
• Offenders within the justice system: working in partnership with the New Futures Network (part of the Ministry of Justice) to provide digital and AI skills training, supporting prisoners to develop digital, AI, and employability skills in advance of their release.

Vicki Sellick MBE, Chief Executive Officer at Good Things Foundation, said: “As AI rapidly reshapes how we work and live, we are at risk of leaving people who are digitally excluded even further behind. Reaching one million people with AI skills is an important milestone, but the reality is that millions more still need help and support in the AI age. Through the 8,000 strong members of our National Digital Inclusion Network, we see firsthand how personal, community-led support to give people new skills and confidence online can transform lives across the UK. Partnering with Accenture allows us to take AI and digital skills straight to the heart of underserved communities, giving people the devices and connectivity they need and the essential confidence to navigate the digital world safely and confidently.”

Sarah Tillett, 33, from North Tyneside, who improved her employment prospects through the Regenerative AI initiative, said: “After being made redundant and having cared for my mum, I reached a point where I felt quite lost about what came next for me and my career. Looking for work today can feel incredibly overwhelming because so much of it now happens online, and when your confidence has taken a hit - it’s hard to know where to start. The AI tools helped make searching and applying for jobs feel more manageable and less time-consuming, while the coaching Stay Nimble provided gave me the encouragement and confidence to start thinking positively about my future again. That support helped me feel hopeful about building toward a new career in counselling and therapy.”

Accenture is also a founding industry partner in the government’s AI Skills Boost programme, working alongside other leading companies to develop AI training courses delivered through the AI Skills Hub as part of a collective effort to upskill 10 million workers.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The results reported reflect outcomes achieved through programmes delivered by our partners, who certify that the figures are true, complete, and accurate. Our partners use a range of evidence to determine outcomes, including extrapolated results using sampling methods.

About Accenture
Accenture (NYSE:ACN) is a leading solutions and services company that helps the world’s leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI to create value at speed across the enterprise, bringing together the talent of our approximately 786,000 people, our proprietary assets and platforms, and deep ecosystem relationships. Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. Through our Reinvention Services we bring together our capabilities across strategy, consulting, technology, operations, Song and Industry X with our deep industry expertise to create and deliver solutions and services for our clients. Our purpose is to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity, and we measure our success by the 360° value we create for all our stakeholders. Visit us at accenture.com.

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Contact:

Natalie de Freitas
Accenture
+44380 799 196
[email protected]