What do you need the course to do?
Start here, because it decides everything else.
- To use AI in the job you have. A short course on the AI tool your employer gives you, then one built on your kind of work. Many of these are free. See courses by role and free AI courses.
- To show an employer you have the skills. Look for something with a recognised end point: CPD from your own professional body, a booked exam, or an apprenticeship. See AI certifications.
- To move into an AI or data role. That usually means building things, so expect Python and longer courses, or an AI apprenticeship if you can do one through work.
Do you need to pay?
Usually not for a first course. We list 66 free courses, and AI Skills Boost gives every adult in the UK free AI courses on the government’s AI Skills Hub. Pay when you need something a free course doesn’t give you: a professional body’s CPD, an exam, or live teaching. Some courses are free to learn but charge for the certificate; we label those “free to learn”.
Will my employer recognise it?
That depends on what the course ends in, not on how long it is.
- A certificate of completion shows you finished the course. Most free online courses give one.
- CPD from your professional body counts towards the development record your body asks for. Professional bodies such as ACCA, CIM, the CIPR and the Chartered College of Teaching run AI courses; they’re on our role pages.
- A booked exam tests you under exam conditions. The BCS Essentials Certificate in AI is a short UK exam on AI basics, though BCS says it isn’t a regulated qualification. Microsoft, AWS and Google run exams on their own tools.
- An apprenticeship leads to a standard set nationally by Skills England, alongside a paid job.
If you’re not sure, ask your manager or your professional body which of these they accept before you pay.
Can my employer pay?
Often, and it depends on where you work.
- England: if your employer doesn't pay the apprenticeship levy, the government funds all training and assessment for AI apprenticeship units, up to the funding rate. For Skills Bootcamps, learners pay nothing; employers sending their own staff pay part of the cost: 10% (1 to 249 employees) or 30% (250 or more). See AI apprenticeship units and Skills Bootcamps.
- Scotland: the New Flexible Workforce Development Fund pays for training through colleges, for some workers only; up to £15,000 per employer a year.
- Wales: Personal Learning Accounts are for individuals: courses are free to eligible learners, so there's nothing for an employer to pay.
- Northern Ireland: see our Northern Ireland page.
The rules for each scheme, in the official words, are on free and funded AI training by nation.
Is a free certificate worth anything?
It shows you finished the course, which can help on a CV, but it isn’t a qualification. Treat it as proof of learning, not proof of skill. If you need proof of skill, choose a course that ends in CPD from your professional body or a booked exam.
How do I compare two courses?
Look at the same things on each course page: what it costs you (and whether members pay less), how many hours it takes, its level, what it ends in, and when it starts. We show these the same way for every course, as the provider states them, and “not stated” where the provider doesn’t say.