Databricks to Train 100,000 People in Data and AI across the UK and Ireland by 2028
October 16, 2025
Databricks Invests >$10M in Free Edition to Train the Next Generation of AI Talent, Accelerates Adoption of Agent Bricks
Data + AI World Tour, London, United Kingdom – October 16, 2025 – Databricks, the Data and AI company, today announced significant momentum in democratizing data and AI training across the UK and Ireland. In the next three years, the company expects to train 100,000 people in generative AI, data engineering, machine learning, and analytics through Databricks’ in-person and self-paced programs.
The need for highly skilled AI talent, coupled with a robust AI strategy, has never been more crucial for business success. According to World Economic Forum data, workers can expect that almost 40% of their existing skill sets will become outdated in the next 5 years, with AI becoming one of the fastest-growing skills needed for today’s workforce. That's why Databricks is making a substantial investment in its Free Edition product and education programs, offering data and AI training, and accelerating adoption of its flagship AI product, Agent Bricks — helping organizations get high-quality AI agents out of proof of concept and into full-scale production, with speed, security and governance.
Databricks Invests >$10M in UK and Europe to Train Future AI Talent
As part of Databricks Free Edition, a global data and AI education program aimed at closing the industry-wide talent gap, more than $10 million will be invested in the UK and Europe to provide everyone — students, hobbyists, and aspiring professionals — with free access to the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. This program includes free comprehensive self-paced training and free industry-leading tools designed to close the industry’s AI talent gap and empower the next generation of data and AI leaders.
“Businesses are reaching a key moment in growing their use of AI. By pairing advanced training with the power of Agent Bricks, we’re helping local enterprises quickly and safely scale trusted AI apps and agents,“ said Samuel Bonamigo, SVP & GM, EMEA, Databricks.
Strengthening the UK and Ireland’s AI Skills Pipeline
As part of its effort to democratize data and AI education and training, Databricks is actively partnering with government and academic institutions to accelerate AI learning and certification:
- Government partnerships: Databricks is part of the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) “Get Tech Certified this Autumn” program, a three-month initiative delivering free, high-quality training in AI and machine learning to public sector employees nationwide. The effort aligns with the UK government’s Blueprint for a Modern Digital Government, including its goal of ensuring one in ten civil servants work in digital or tech roles within five years.
- University collaborations: Through its University Alliance Program, Databricks partners with more than 40 universities across the UK and Ireland — including the London School of Economics (LSE), University College Dublin, University of Salford, and University of Sheffield—equipping students with in-demand data and AI skills.
“Providing our data science students with the latest data and AI skills is something we take great pride in. By being part of the Databricks University Alliance program, our students can learn the latest in big data programming and analytics, which is essential to flourish in the fast-paced AI sector,” said Dr Marcos Barreto, Associate Professor of Data Science and Lead on AI for the Department of Statistics, the London School of Economics.
“Our MSc Data Science program, underpinned by Databricks, provides students with the cutting-edge expertise they need to thrive in the future of work,” said Nathan Topping, Lecturer in Data Science, University of Salford.
Growing Local Presence to Empower Enterprises with Data Intelligence & Agentic AI
In the UK, Databricks is already powering over 50% of the FTSE 100 Index, including Barclays, Reckitt and Shell, as well as leading Irish organizations such as Aer Lingus, to achieve tangible business impact with data and AI. Other leading UK businesses such as Flo Health and Virgin Atlantic rely on Databricks’ AI apps and agents solutions built on their enterprise data to fuel innovation.
Databricks now employs more than 500 people in the UK and Ireland, operating out of its seven-story EMEA hub in Fitzrovia, central London, which opened last year.
“We are proud to be at the heart of the UK and Ireland’s data and AI ecosystem,” said Michael Green, UK & Ireland Managing Director, Databricks. “ Our growing team is helping students, customers and partners to keep up with the fast-changing AI landscape. The right data and AI skills are essential in enabling UK and Irish businesses to scale AI agents and remain competitive on a global stage.”
Data + AI World Tour: Connecting the Data and AI Community
Today’s announcement was made at the Data + AI World Tour London, the first stop in an EMEA-wide series bringing together thousands of data and AI professionals. By year's end, the 2025 tour will span six cities, including Amsterdam, London, Milan, Munich, Paris and Stockholm.
About Databricks
Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including Block, Comcast, Condé Nast, Rivian, Shell and over 60% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to take control of their data and put it to work with AI. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe and was founded by the original creators of Lakehouse, Apache Spark™, Delta Lake, MLflow, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.