Insights

Practical thinking on AI skills, adoption and regional growth.

Notes from the room - what we learn running free, hands-on AI labs with communities, small businesses and universities.

The One Per Cent Problem

UK businesses have never been more aware of AI. Almost none of them have scaled it, governed it, or measured what it returned. Thousands of people have completed awareness courses. Confidence in AI terminology is up. And yet only 1% of organisations have reached the point where AI is actually delivering value at scale. That distance: between knowing what AI is and knowing what to do with it, is where the value is being lost. And it is not a skills problem.

Charlie Bartle

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Students working on laptops during an AI Lab session at Leeds University Business School, 'Our purpose is to make a positive impact on the economy, society, and the planet' wall visible in the background

Policy & Skills6 min read

Awareness is not employability

87% of employers expect AI to reshape entry-level roles. At the same time, competition for graduate jobs has hit record levels. A certificate saying students attended an AI awareness session does very little in that market — because so did everyone else.

Charlie BartleJuly 2026

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