Debenhams Group, has launched an AI skills academy, designed to equip staff with practical AI skills.
The academy, which is being rolled out in partnership with workforce development platform Multiverse, is intended to boost growth across Debenhams Group by closing the AI skills gap.
Fully funded through the retailer’s £1.35m apprenticeship levy, the academy provides workers with structured, on-the-job learning set to “deliver tangible value” to the business.
Staff will be taught all the technical skills and behaviours needed to embrace AI in their day-to-day work.
These include using AI tools to boost productivity and free up time for higher-value, strategic work, applying AI solutions to streamline operations and reduce manual tasks, and building AI systems in-house to boost digital transformation and reduce reliance on external providers.
The programme will be rolled out internally via a company-wide communication campaign, which will include in-person sessions delivered by Multiverse.
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Debenhams Group CEO Dan Finley said: “Adopting AI is not just about investing in our systems – it’s about investing in our people.
“With the launch of the AI skills academy, we’re giving our teams the tools to think differently, work smarter and build for the future.
“This is about unlocking the potential of every colleague to drive real innovation across the group.”
Debenhams Group joins a host of other retailers investing in AI. Last month, Morrisons said it was launching an interactive “living digital model” of its end-to-end supply chain, enabling it to experiment with alterations to its operations and trial changes.
Currys also recently launched a “game-changing” AI video tool to speed up irs repairs, improve customer service and cut unnecessary callouts.
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