{"id":861411,"date":"2025-07-10T07:11:49","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T12:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/10\/uk-government-signs-deal-with-google-cloud-to-upskill-100000-civil-servants-in-ai-by-2030\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T07:11:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T12:11:49","slug":"uk-government-signs-deal-with-google-cloud-to-upskill-100000-civil-servants-in-ai-by-2030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/10\/uk-government-signs-deal-with-google-cloud-to-upskill-100000-civil-servants-in-ai-by-2030\/","title":{"rendered":"UK government signs deal with Google Cloud to upskill 100,000 civil servants in AI by 2030"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content-header\">\n<h2>Technology secretary Peter Kyle announces deal with Google Cloud as part of a push to loosen the grip of legacy tech on the UK public sector, while also committing to growing the amount of money government spends with homegrown tech suppliers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-center\">\n<ul>\n<li><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i data-icon=\"2\"><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"contributors-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Caroline-Donnelly-CW-contributor-2022-140x180px.JPG\" alt=\"Caroline Donnelly\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Caroline-Donnelly\">Caroline Donnelly,<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Senior Editor, UK<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\tPublished: <span>09 Jul 2025 15:04<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"content-body\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366618284\/Interview-Feryal-Clark-AI-and-digital-government-minister-DSIT\">Google Cloud is leaning on its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to expand its footprint in the UK public sector<\/a>, having signed a strategic agreement with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to reduce Whitehall\u2019s reliance on legacy tech.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the agreement, Google will train 100,000 civil servants working across the public sector in using AI and other digital services through its Google Cloud Training Programme by 2030, in support of the government\u2019s goal to have one in 10 civil servants working in tech roles by the same date.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Google Cloud will be tasked with creating a cross-government cyber security platform that will monitor and respond to looming cyber security threats facing the public sector at large.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366620502\/Peter-Kyle-sets-stage-for-making-tech-work\">Speaking at the Google Cloud London Summit, technology secretary Peter Kyle<\/a> said the agreement represents an \u201centirely new way\u201d for the UK government to work with Google.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an agreement that recognises our value\u2026as a huge client of their organisation, and how important their technology is to help us deliver changes to public services, to make them more in touch, more in tune and better value for money for taxpayers,\u201d said Kyle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe agreement signals and signifies our determination to exploit the full potential of a partnership between government and Google, with much more collaboration between the UK AI Lab, DeepMind and my own AI developers in my department [DSIT].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As revealed by Kyle during the keynote, the Google-government collaboration has already led to the creation of a specialist AI tool, based on Google Gemini, called Extract that is designed to help local councils digitise handwritten planning documents and maps in minutes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt could be pivotal in our plan to stop bureaucracy holding up construction and ultimately to help us build the 1.5 million homes we pledged to do over the course of this Parliament,\u201d continued Kyle.<\/p>\n<section data-menu-title=\"Google makes in-roads into the public sector\">\n<h2><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>Google makes in-roads into the public sector<\/h2>\n<p>Google Cloud has made a concerted effort over the course of the past two years to win more public sector business, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366555252\/Google-Cloud-sets-up-public-sector-focused-business-division-to-trap-more-UK-government-business\">exemplified by the announcement at its 2023 London Summit about its decision to create a dedicated public sector business division<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The organisation does have a long history of working with the public sector, with the early iteration of its cloud-based business productivity suite Google Workspace finding itself keenly adopted by local councils during the 2010s.<\/p>\n<p>The internet search giant\u2019s cloud arm has also previously worked with the UK\u2019s government procurement arm the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to offer preferential pricing on its services to public sector IT buyers.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Google has also participated in procurement agreements geared towards smoothing the path to cloud for public sector organisations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366547018\/CCS-urged-to-do-more-to-make-Cloud-Compute-2-framework-more-accessible-to-SMEs\">including the government\u2019s hyperscale-focused Cloud Compute 2 framework<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to data shared with IT watcher Tussell, Google Cloud has secured contracts valued at a minimum of \u00a311.1m since announcing the launch of its public sector-focused division in 2023, including one totalling nearly \u00a34m with DSIT.<\/p>\n<p>However, with this new agreement in place, and Kyle talking up the government\u2019s commitment to loosening the grip of legacy IT suppliers on the UK public sector, the amount of government IT spend put Google\u2019s way could be set to grow even further.<\/p>\n<p>During his appearance in the show\u2019s opening keynote, Kyle said the government wants to help the public sector \u201cshake off the legacy technology\u201d that costs taxpayers \u201can absolute fortune\u201d and leaves them vulnerable to outages and cyber attacks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore than one in four public sector systems run on this ball and chain tech, rising to 70% when it comes to police forces,\u201d he said. \u201cRight across our country, with contracts signed decades ago\u2026we\u2019ve seen a few tech companies really taking liberties with the public sector.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As examples, he cited instances where public sector organisations have found it \u201cimpossible\u201d to exit contracts with legacy tech providers, leaving their data \u201clocked up\u201d on \u201carchaic servers\u201d with the price of maintaining that tech \u201chiked year on year\u201d. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am determined to break free from those costly chains once and for all, through agreements like this [with Google], [so] we can transition public sector organisations trapped by the ball and chain of legacy services and products, and migrate to the cloud. That move alone will liberate public service organisations and\u2026this partnership could see Google invest hundreds of millions of pounds in Britain\u2019s public sector technology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is DSIT\u2019s intention to \u201cdrag\u201d public sector IT \u201cinto the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century\u201d, he continued, and assist police forces, NHS trusts, local councils and government departments with getting a fairer price for the services they procure from technology firms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey [public sector organisations] just don\u2019t just have the experience and the market clout they need to drive the best deal for taxpayers, [so] they end up paying the full shop front rate [for technology] that doesn\u2019t even work for them in the first place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut they\u2019re all buying on behalf of the same client: you the taxpayer, and that taxpayer is footing [an annual] bill for \u00a321bn, for the same technology time and time again \u2013 and that is why I am determined to secure a new deal for buying tech for the British taxpayer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Google deal means the technology company is now classified as a \u201cstrategic technology partner\u201d to UK government, which is a type of relationship Kyle said he is keen to cultivate with other tech firms too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to acknowledge the foresight of Google in signing this key agreement, and I want more to follow. I want it to stimulate many similar cooperation agreements with the full range of international and domestic technology companies,\u201d he said, adding that doing so will pave the way for higher economic growth, more jobs, better public services and greater value for taxpayers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy message to big tech companies is clear: bring us your best ideas, bring us your best tech and bring it at the best price, and \u2013 in return \u2013 you\u2019ll get access to the biggest client in the country. One that will be increasingly intelligent and increasingly digital.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As alluded to above, a priority for the UK government is also to ensure UK-based companies of all sizes get a \u201cfair shot at winning\u201d contracts, he added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[We will make sure] more UK tech companies can get their slice of that \u00a321bn pie. That means more money for companies operating here in the UK, workers and founders,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will help us achieve the economic growth upon which Britain\u2019s future prosperity lies, and it will improve the public services.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"DigDeeperSplash\">\n<h4>\n\t\t\t<i data-icon=\"m\"><\/i>Read more on Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/blog\/Computer-Weekly-Editors-Blog\/Why-the-Govuk-App-could-maybe-possibly-be-a-turning-point-for-digital-government\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/digdeeper\/1.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/digdeeper\/1_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/digdeeper\/1.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Why the Gov.uk App could (maybe, possibly&#8230;) be a turning point for digital government<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Bryan-Glick-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"BryanGlick\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Bryan\u00a0Glick<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366625063\/Microsoft-Copilot-AI-saves-civil-service-hours-of-admin-work\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/London-Westminster-Parliament-4-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/London-Westminster-Parliament-4-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/London-Westminster-Parliament-4-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Microsoft Copilot AI saves civil service hours of admin work<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Cliff-Saran-Sep-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"CliffSaran\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Cliff\u00a0Saran<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/blog\/Computer-Weekly-Editors-Blog\/Calm-settles-over-digital-identity-market-for-now-Hark-is-that-Big-Tech-on-the-horizon\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/digdeeper\/3.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/digdeeper\/3_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/digdeeper\/3.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Calm settles over digital identity market &#8211; for now&#8230; (Hark, is that Big Tech on the horizon?)<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Bryan-Glick-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"BryanGlick\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Bryan\u00a0Glick<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366623927\/Government-starts-private-sector-engagement-on-digital-ID-and-Govuk-Wallet\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/London-Westminster-Parliament-government-Patryk-Kosmider-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/London-Westminster-Parliament-government-Patryk-Kosmider-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/London-Westminster-Parliament-government-Patryk-Kosmider-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Government starts private sector engagement on digital ID and Gov.uk Wallet<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/lis pic.jpeg\" alt=\"LisEvenstad\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Lis\u00a0Evenstad<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366627224\/UK-government-signs-deal-with-Google-Cloud-to-upskill-100000-civil-servants-in-AI-by-2030\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Margarete Stoval<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Technology secretary Peter Kyle announces deal with Google Cloud as part of a push to loosen the grip of legacy tech on the UK public sector, while also committing to growing the amount of money government spends with homegrown tech suppliers By Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK Published: 09 Jul 2025 15:04 Google Cloud is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":861412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[284,516,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-861411","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-government","8":"category-signs","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=861411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/861412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=861411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=861411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=861411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}