UK Tech Leaders Emphasize Cloud and AI Expertise for Business Transformations, According to Coursera-AWS Study
UK Tech Leaders Prioritize Cloud Transformation and Upskilling for Business Growth
A recent study by Coursera and AWS has revealed that UK tech leaders are focusing on cloud transformation and cloud-related skills as the top priority for driving business growth over the next three years. The research highlights the importance of upskilling and reskilling current employees to build skills in cloud, data, cybersecurity, and AI.
According to the study, 94% of UK tech leaders view cloud transformation as a critical business goal, while 88% prioritize AI. Foundational skills in cloud development and engineering are considered the most essential, with cloud skills ranked highest, followed by data skills (58%) and cybersecurity (54%). AI skills rank fourth but remain highly important.
The findings emphasize that successful business transformation depends heavily on upskilling and reskilling current employees to build skills in cloud, data, cybersecurity, and AI. About three-quarters (75%) of tech leaders prioritize upskilling in the next 12 to 18 months to keep pace with technological advances and meet transformation goals.
The strategic focus is on combining technology adoption with intensive workforce upskilling to achieve business transformation goals. According to Mustafa Furniturewala, CTO of Coursera, tech leaders view the cloud as an equally essential foundation for AI transformation.
The research also indicates that automation and AI-assisted code generation are expected to increase significantly, but human talent development remains irreplaceable for success. Over two-thirds (68%) of UK tech leaders expect new hires to understand how generative AI could be applied to their work tasks.
Moreover, nine in ten (94%) employers believe universities should equip graduates with GenAI skills for entry-level roles, and nine in ten (93%) students believe GenAI training belongs in degree programmes. Nearly all (99%) respondents anticipate that their codebases will be partially AI generated or developed with AI assistance in the next three years.
In addition, keeping pace with technology is the most urgent driver for skills development within the team for two-thirds (67%) of UK tech leaders. Cybersecurity ranks higher in importance than AI for UK tech leaders, taking third place in terms of priority for skills development. This is significant, considering that over a quarter (27%) of companies in the UK were hit by a cyber-attack in the past year.
Coursera partners with over 350 leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials. As a Delaware public benefit corporation and a B Corp, Coursera is committed to making education accessible, affordable, and valuable to learners worldwide.
Sources: - CXO Insight ME, July 30, 2025 - UNLEASH AI, August 1, 2025 - HR Review UK, July 31, 2025 - HR-Now UK, July 30, 2025 - UK Government, Investment in AI identified as the new economic frontier
In the UK, tech leaders are prioritizing cloud transformation and upskilling as key drivers for business growth, with 94% viewing cloud transformation as critical. apart from foundation skills in cloud development, data skills, cybersecurity, and AI are also highlighted as essential areas for upskilling. Interestingly, while new hires are expected to be proficient in AI-assisted code generation, cybersecurity ranks higher in importance than AI for skills development among UK tech leaders, given the prevalence of cyber-attacks. To support these initiatives, Coursera partners with universities and industries to offer a broad range of learning resources.
