Bridging Scotland’s data and AI skills gap for the future

In May, our annual DataFest conference took place at The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. It was amazing to be in a room filled with Scotland’s diverse community of innovators, educators, public servants, students, and everyone in between who came together to discuss how we are all collectively trying to navigate AI.

Our packed pre-conference event was focused on skills—one of the biggest barriers to using AI effectively in organisations. I was proud to launch our new Data & AI Skills Framework at the opening session. It’s the result of months of work and dedication by my team.

We first created a framework in 2020, after researching the data skills gap with employers in Edinburgh and South East Scotland. Delivered through our Data Skills for Work programme, it helped individuals, employers, and training providers make sense of the growing number of data-related training options.

It wasn’t about turning everyone into data scientists. It was about helping people navigate a confusing and scattered skills landscape—especially those facing barriers to upskilling, like insecure jobs, low pay, or the risk of redundancy due to automation.

Since then, the pace of change has only accelerated. The pandemic drove digital and hybrid working. Brexit disrupted the talent pipeline. And now, generative AI is rapidly changing how we work.

What the Framework delivers

In response, we repeated our research—this time at a national scale—to understand how Scotland’s data and AI skills needs have evolved. Our new framework builds on those findings.

Much of the original data skills gap still exists. But now, AI literacy—the ability to understand, use, and critically engage with AI tools—is becoming essential in all sectors. Here’s what our latest research found:

To help with this, we’ve created a clear way to identify the data and AI skills people need, based on their relationship to these technologies in a work context. The framework uses personas, competency areas, and specific skills to make it easier for individuals and organisations to see a clear path to build their skills.

One of the most common challenges we hear is simply not knowing where to start. Many people feel unsure about their own digital skills—or what their team needs to succeed. Whether you’re a Data & AI Citizen, Worker, Professional or Leader, we hope this framework helps you take that first step with confidence.

Take the First Step: Explore the Framework

You can explore the full Data & AI Skills Framework—including personas, skills breakdowns, and learning pathways—on our website.

If you are interested in exploring how The Data Lab can support your organisation get in touch with us https://thedatalab.com/contact-us/

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