Pax8 named strategic AI partner in a UK government programme aimed at boosting AI skills for ten million workers by 2030.
Pax8, the leading marketplace for cloud commerce, has been selected as a strategic partner in the UK government’s national AI skills initiative. Led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the programme aims to ensure that individuals and businesses across the United Kingdom can take full advantage of the opportunities created by artificial intelligence.
Pax8 joins a group of founding organisations, including Microsoft, to support and expand the programme. The initiative is designed to meet the growing demand for practical AI skills in the labour market and to increase productivity across both the public and private sectors.
The AI Skills Boost programme provides free, industry-developed AI courses available through the government’s AI Skills Hub. The courses are aligned with Skills England’s AI Foundations standard and are created to help workers build confidence in tasks such as content creation, integrating AI tools into daily workflows, and improving efficiency through practical AI applications.
As a strategic partner, Pax8 will support the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology by delivering AI learning opportunities through its global channel community. The company will also share insights and real-world implementation trends from across the SMB technology ecosystem, with a particular focus on how AI solutions are being adopted by small and medium-sized enterprises in practice.
The partnership aligns with Pax8’s long-term efforts to build AI capacity, help managed service providers transition to more intelligent offerings, and contribute to national objectives that promote innovation, competitiveness and economic growth.
“Pax8 is committed to ensuring that businesses do not fall behind in the AI transformation. Our ecosystem of Managed Intelligence Providers plays a critical role in enabling smaller companies to adopt new technologies with confidence. We are proud to support this national initiative alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and other leading organisations, and we look forward to helping people across the UK build the AI skills they need to succeed,” said Harald Nuij, CEO of Pax8 EMEA.
About Pax8
Pax8 is the cloud commerce marketplace of the future, connecting partners, vendors and small and medium-sized businesses through AI-driven insights and extensive product support. With a global partner ecosystem that includes more than 47,000 managed service providers, Pax8 empowers SMBs around the world by offering software and services that unlock growth potential and enhance security. Pax8 drives innovation in cloud commerce at scale, enabling customer acquisition and more effective use of solutions across its ecosystem.
Through this partnership with the UK government, Pax8 will extend its focus on practical skill-building—helping employees and organisations adopt AI tools responsibly and effectively. The programme’s free courses target a broad audience, from workers seeking foundational knowledge to SMB leaders who want to integrate AI into operations to boost productivity and competitiveness. By providing accessible training and real-world case studies, Pax8 and its partners aim to lower barriers to adoption and accelerate the deployment of AI across sectors.
Pax8’s involvement will also contribute sector-specific insights that inform how training is tailored for different industries and business sizes. This practical perspective is intended to help policymakers and training providers better design curricula that meet employer needs and close the skills gap in areas such as automation, data-driven decision making, and AI-enhanced customer service.
The collaboration reinforces a broader national objective: to prepare the workforce for technological change through coordinated public–private efforts. By combining government resources with industry expertise, the initiative aims to create sustainable pathways for upskilling, support economic growth, and ensure that both employees and employers can take advantage of AI’s productivity gains while managing associated risks responsibly.
As the AI landscape evolves, ongoing partnerships between government, industry leaders like Pax8 and Microsoft, and channel communities will be crucial to maintaining momentum. Training programmes that are practical, standards-aligned and widely accessible can help millions of workers build confidence with AI tools and methods—contributing to a more resilient, innovative and competitive UK economy by 2030.