The Debenhams Group, which owns brands including PrettyLittleThing and Karen Millen, has launched a new scheme to equip its employees with practical AI skills.

The AI Skills Academy, which is being rolled out with workforce development platform Multiverse, aims to boost growth across the company by closing the AI skills gap.

The programme is being funded through the group’s £1.35 million Apprenticeship Levy, a government fund for work-based training.

Debenhams said the AI Skills Academy will provide employees with structured, on-the-job learning that will deliver “tangible value” to the Debenhams Group business.

Employees will be taught a range of skills including how to use AI tools to boost their productivity and free up their time for “higher value” work.

Additionally, employees will learn how to apply AI tools to streamline operations and reduce manual tasks, as well as how to build AI systems in-house to accelerate digital transformation and reduce reliance on external providers.

Debenhams said the programme supports a key pillar of its digital transformation roadmap which aims to embed a culture of innovation and continuous learning.

By investing in AI education at scale, Debenhams said it is accelerating the responsible use of artificial intelligence across its portfolio while ensuring its teams are empowered with the skills needed to lead in a fast-moving retail landscape.

“Adopting AI is not just about investing in our systems, it’s about investing in our people,” said Dan Finley, chief executive of Debenhams Group. “With the launch of the AI Skills Academy, we’re giving our teams the tools to think differently, work smarter and build for the future.

“This is about unlocking the potential of every colleague to drive real innovation across the group.”

In June, Debenhams announced the implementation of AI technology at scale across its product pricing and promotions operations, marking a significant shift away from manual processes towards automated decision-making.

The AI system enables real-time, automated pricing for thousands of stock keeping units, replacing traditional spreadsheet-based methods with faster, more precise, and data-driven approaches.

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