Debenhams Group partners with Multiverse on new AI Skills Academy aiming to equip employees with practical AI skills
Online retailer conglomerate Debenhams Group has launched AI Skills Academy - an online platform hoping to equip its workforce with practical AI skills.
Rolled out in partnership with online platform for tech and AI adoption Multiverse, the AI Skills Academy aims to close the AI skills gap and boost growth across the Debenhams Group.
The AI Skills Academy will offer training on how to use AI skills to increase productivity and streamline operations, freeing-up time for higher value work. The training will also cover how to build AI systems in-house to reduce reliance on external providers.
Debenhams Group, which owns brands including Debenhams, PrettyLittleThing, boohoo, boohooMAN and Karen Millen, will launch the program internally with a company-wide campaign including in-person sessions delivered by Multiverse to ensure teams understand the opportunities available to them.
The program will be fully funded by Debenhams Group’s £1.35 million Apprenticeship Levy, the UK government-funded scheme for workplace training.
Dan Finley, CEO at Debenhams Group, says: “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.”
Last year, the Debenhams Group announced a multi-year agreement with cloud provider Amazon Web Services (AWS), aiming to streamline its operations and rapidly scale new brands using AI-driven tools.
Earlier this year, Multiverse announced a commitment to train 15,000 new AI apprentices over the next two years. The initiative supports the UK government's AI Opportunities Action Plan.
