In 2026, AI workforce training moved from individual courses to national commitments. In the space of five months, the UAE launched the largest training programme in its government’s history, the UK signed a sector-wide skills compact with its biggest financial institutions, and Singapore’s financial sector committed to train 80,000 employees in AI by 2028. Each takes a different approach. Together, they show what workforce transformation at scale looks like.
Singapore: the IBF AI Workforce Co-Lab
On 24 September 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong launched the IBF AI Workforce Co-Lab at the Institute of Banking and Finance’s Distinction Evening (The Edge Singapore).
- Who: 23 pioneer financial institutions, including DBS, OCBC, UOB, AIA Singapore and Prudential, spanning banking, insurance and asset management. Together they employ about 40 percent of Singapore’s financial services workforce.
- Commitment: train their entire Singapore workforce, over 80,000 employees, in critical AI skills by 2028 through IBF-recognised programmes. More than half had already completed training at launch.
- Design: a common AI foundation for all, role-specific pathways (including an operations pathway to redesign jobs), and Co-Lab@Leaders to help leaders drive AI workforce transformation and governance (Mothership).
- Pipeline: a pilot Young Talent Programme for AI in Finance helps undergraduates build skills in both AI and finance.
DPM Gan summed up the principle: financial institutions must plan for their people even as they plan for AI.
United Kingdom: the Financial Services Skills Compact
On 13 July 2026, the Chancellor launched the Financial Services Skills Compact as part of her Mansion House speech, a shared agreement between government, the Financial Services Skills Commission and the industry (GOV.UK).
- Who: 22 founding signatories, including Barclays, HSBC UK, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Standard Chartered, Aviva, Legal & General, London Stock Exchange Group and Nationwide, collectively employing more than 250,000 people. The UK sector employs around one million (HR Grapevine).
- Commitments: upskill the entire UK workforce in AI and up to four other critical skills over a rolling three-year period; maintain or grow structured routes for new talent; appoint a senior executive accountable for closing skills gaps; and report progress every year by 30 November.
- Why now: the Financial Services Skills Commission’s research suggests up to half of the tasks in most roles could be automated by AI (FSSC).
United Arab Emirates: training 80,000 federal employees in agentic AI
On 18 May 2026, the UAE Cabinet approved a programme to train 80,000 federal employees in agentic AI tools and technologies, described by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as the largest training programme in the history of the UAE Government (UAE Government Media Office).
- Who: every ministry, authority and federal entity, from ministers to new joiners.
- Design: five occupational categories (leadership, technical, specialist, general workforce, and train-the-trainers), developed with national universities and global technology companies, including a partnership with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (EdTech Innovation Hub).
- Goal: support the government’s plan to run 50 percent of federal services and operations on agentic AI within two years (Arabian Business).
The three approaches compared
| Singapore | United Kingdom | United Arab Emirates | |
| Initiative | IBF AI Workforce Co-Lab | Financial Services Skills Compact | Federal agentic AI training programme |
| Launched | 24 September 2026 | 13 July 2026 | 18 May 2026 |
| Sector | Financial services | Financial services | Federal government |
| Scale | 23 institutions, 80,000+ employees | 22 founding firms, 250,000+ employees | 80,000 federal employees |
| Target | Entire Singapore workforce trained in AI by 2028 | Entire UK workforce upskilled over a rolling three years | 50% of services on agentic AI within two years |
| Leadership track | Co-Lab@Leaders | Named senior executive accountable | Leadership category |
| Talent pipeline | Young Talent Programme for AI in Finance | Structured routes for new talent | Train-the-trainers category |
The three programmes differ in sector and design, so they should not be compared as if they measured the same thing. Singapore and the UK focus on financial services and count employees trained; the UAE focuses on government and links training to a target for AI-enabled services. What they share is the recognition that AI capability must be built across whole workforces, not left to specialists.
What all three get right
- Whole-workforce scope. None treats AI as a specialist skill. Everyone, from leaders to new joiners, is in scope.
- Leadership first. Each has a dedicated route for senior leaders, because AI transformation stalls without leadership capability.
- Role-based pathways. A common foundation is followed by skills tied to specific jobs.
- Public commitment. Named targets and timelines create accountability.
The next challenge: measuring capability, not completion
The hardest part comes next. Training completions are easy to count; capability is harder to measure. The UK Compact, for example, counts unique learners who complete at least one piece of AI training. The real test will be whether people can redesign workflows, govern risk and judge AI output in their own roles.
That is why CFTE argues that responsible AI adoption is not a one-off training exercise but institutional readiness built as a system: capability defined through a proficiency framework, delivered through role-based pathways tied to real workflows, and measured through diagnostics. CFTE works across all three markets: its senior leadership programmes are recognised by IBF in Singapore, it delivers the AI Leadership Academy with UK Finance, which represents more than 300 financial institutions, and it has an office in Abu Dhabi.
National commitments have changed the scale of the AI skills challenge. The next test is quality: whether training translates into people who can use AI well in their own roles. That depends on clear proficiency standards, role-based learning and honest measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the IBF AI Workforce Co-Lab?
Launched in September 2026, it is a partnership between Singapore’s Institute of Banking and Finance and 23 financial institutions to train their entire Singapore workforce, over 80,000 employees, in critical AI skills by 2028.
What is the UK Financial Services Skills Compact?
Launched in July 2026, it is an agreement between the UK government, the Financial Services Skills Commission and financial firms. Signatories commit to upskilling their whole UK workforce in AI and other critical skills over a rolling three-year period and reporting progress annually.
How many UAE government employees will be trained in agentic AI?
80,000 federal employees, across five occupational categories, under a programme approved by the UAE Cabinet in May 2026.
About CFTE
The Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CFTE) is a global platform that partners with financial institutions, regulators and governments to build future-ready workforces at scale. Founded in 2017 by Huy Nguyen Trieu and Tram Anh Nguyen, CFTE has supported more than 200,000 professionals across 130+ countries and works with 250+ leading organisations. It has offices in London, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.
CFTE’s work spans AI capability diagnostics, role-based learning pathways and executive education, built on public frameworks including the CFTE AI Proficiency Framework, the Performance Hexagon and SHIME. CFTE founded Global Women in AI to help more women lead, build and shape the future of AI. Learn more at cfte.education.
