Sharon Hague, CEO, Pearson UK
As the UK accelerates investment in AI and quantum technologies, Sharon Hague, CEO, Pearson UK, argues that learning and skills will be essential to unlocking productivity, innovation, and sustainable growth.
The government’s announcement of a £2.5 billion investment in AI and quantum technologies is a clear statement of intent.
With an ambition to achieve the fastest adoption of AI in the G7, the government has positioned advanced technology as a central driver of competitiveness and long-term economic growth.
That ambition is justified. Growth will increasingly depend on how effectively the UK adopts and applies new technologies across the economy, from established industries to emerging sectors, and on its ability to scale homegrown technology companies.
But investment in technology will only translate into higher productivity when it is matched with an investment in skills. Our latest research shows that the economic potential of AI will only be realised if employers augment jobs with AI and ensure that employees have the skills needed to work effectively with the technology.
Turning investment into capability
AI and quantum technologies will be foundational to economic growth, not only transforming existing industries but also enabling the creation and scaling of new UK technology companies.
Compute capacity, advanced data systems, and emerging quantum capabilities will support new products, better decisions, and more efficient ways of working across sectors, from healthcare and clean energy to manufacturing and financial services.
But technology only creates value when people can work alongside it and apply it. This is especially true for growing technology companies, where access to skilled talent determines how quickly ideas can be developed, scaled, and brought to market.
That means building deep technical expertise, including engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity specialists, and quantum researchers. The UK already has strengths in talent and innovation, and the government is signalling further support to help promising AI and quantum technologies scale and succeed here.
On quantum, the focus on translating research into real-world applications, including investment in skills and commercialisation, is particularly welcome.
This matters because the constraint on growth is rarely the technology itself. For UK tech companies in particular, the ability to access and develop skilled talent can be a deciding factor in whether they can scale domestically or choose to look elsewhere.
Skills are central to productivity and growth
Productivity remains one of the UK’s most persistent economic challenges. Output per worker has grown slowly for many years, limiting wage growth, competitiveness, and living standards.
Investment into new technology or in tech-based roles will not be enough. Upskilling people across the workforce on new technologies will be crucial to avoid the UK becoming a high AI, low productivity economy.
When people know how to use AI and digital tools effectively, they can move beyond routine tasks and focus on higher-value work, improving performance, quality, and innovation.
It is by combining human skills with new technologies, and redesigning roles at a task level, that organisations will see real productivity gains.
A skills strategy to match technological ambition
To maximise the return on this technology investment and accelerate growth, skills policy must move with the same urgency and ambition. That means:
- Aligning further technical education with labour market demand, particularly in AI, data, digital engineering, and emerging technologies.
- Supporting employers to build skills at scale, including more flexible routes to upskill and reskill existing workforces.
- Helping enterprises develop a new approach to upskilling where it is treated as an integral part of the implementation of technologies, and is incorporated in the everyday ‘flow of work’
- Embedding lifelong learning so people can keep pace as technology and job requirements evolve.
- Using AI to personalise learning, making education more targeted, accessible, and effective from school through to the workplace.
- Strong partnerships between government, employers, and education providers will be essential if faster adoption is to deliver faster growth.
Skills multiply the return on tech investment
The scale of the government’s announcement reflects the scale of the opportunity.
By investing in skills alongside advanced technologies, the UK can turn today’s commitments into a thriving technology sector and sustained economic growth, delivering real benefits for businesses, workers, and communities for years to come.
The prize is clear: a more innovative, productive, and competitive UK economy.