Euan Blair warns UK risks falling behind in AI race
The Multiverse founder and impact investing pioneer Sir Ronald Cohen tell ORT UK's Business Leaders Breakfast that helping young people develop new skills will be critical in the age of AI
Euan Blair, the founder of skills and apprenticeship platform Multiverse, has warned that Britain risks falling behind in the global race to harness artificial intelligence unless it moves faster to equip workers with the skills needed for an increasingly technology-driven economy.
Speaking at ORT UK’s Business Leaders Breakfast in London last week, Blair said the UK had many of the ingredients needed to become a world leader in AI adoption but questioned whether the country was moving quickly enough.
“We can be the fastest adopters of AI because of all the unique strengths Britain has, but that requires real political will, and I’m not sure it’s there,” he said.
Blair was speaking alongside impact investing pioneer and philanthropist Sir Ronald Cohen on a panel, chaired by Times columnist Lord Daniel Finkelstein. The Business Leaders Breakfast supports the ORT JUMP mentoring and employability programme, which helps secondary school students develop workplace skills, build confidence and explore future career pathways with guidance from industry professionals.
Much of the discussion focused on the future of work, apprenticeships and the challenges facing young people entering an increasingly AI-driven labour market. Blair also argued that employers are increasingly looking beyond traditional academic qualifications when assessing talent.
“If you speak to most employers, they realise a university degree is not a meaningful credential when you’re assessing who should join their workforce,” he said. “They’re desperate for new ways to assess people.”
He also highlighted growing demand for apprenticeships, revealing that some placements attract between 150 and 200 qualified applicants for every available role.
“There is a massive mismatch between the supply of apprenticeship jobs and the demand for those jobs,” he said.
Blair described AI as both the “biggest threat and the biggest opportunity” facing workers and employers as technology reshapes the labour market.
Sir Ronald Cohen, who is widely credited with helping pioneer venture capital in Britain, agreed that AI would transform every sector of the economy and create significant new opportunities for young people.
He said: “There is a world of new opportunities opening up. AI is coming along with a path ahead of it, which is going to transform every business sector,” adding that the “convergence of AI and impact is where the biggest companies are going to be created.”
However, he stressed the importance of ensuring young people are not left behind by technological change.
“The best thing you can do to a disadvantaged person is to make them conversant with AI,” he said. “That is the future.”
He argued that businesses, governments and charities all had a role to play in ensuring young people develop the skills needed to benefit from rapid technological change rather than be left behind by it.
The event, which took place at The Royal Kennel Club in Mayfair, was chaired by Ronel Lehmann, the founder of Finito, a coaching and mentoring business. He said: “ORT UK undertakes such important work, empowering secondary school students to reach their goals through mentoring and employability skills training.
“This resonates with my own stewardship at Finito which helps school and college leavers, graduates, and international students to find meaningful careers. Today, our joint activities have the greatest meaning to parents who are hugely concerned about their offspring’s future. At a time when the spotlight is on the rising numbers of those not in education, employment or training, we all have a duty of care to help the next generation.”
Annette Kurer, chair of ORT UK, said: “We were thrilled to welcome Sir Ronald Cohen and Euan Blair to our Business Leaders Breakfast, chaired by friend of ORT UK, Ronel Lehmann.
“Lord Finkelstein steered the conversation seamlessly through the themes of entrepreneurship, AI, impact investing and employment and highlighted both the opportunities and challenges for young people on the cusp of their career journeys. At ORT UK we support young people to begin developing workplace skills while still in secondary school, so they leave with the confidence, knowledge and tools to pursue their goals. ORT UK’s mission aligned perfectly with the theme of the breakfast, where our speakers emphasised the importance of equipping young people with the skills and self-belief to secure meaningful employment.”
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