Alas, micro-enterprises are lagging behind when it comes to training: only 4 per cent provide it

Artificial intelligence is not only requiring businesses to make a significant investment in technology, but will also require an even greater investment in staff training. Whilst this is now clear to medium-sized and large organisations, it is less so for small and micro-enterprises, only 4 per cent of which have launched structured training programmes on artificial intelligence. This figure illustrates just how limited their awareness still is regarding the skills needed to tackle the digital transformation and the central importance of training.

The finding emerged from a study carried out by MADE – the Industry 4.0 Competence Centre in Milan – in collaboration with the Digital Innovation Observatory for SMEs at the Politecnico di Milano, which developed SkillAI, a tool for measuring maturity in the use of AI across seven dimensions, ranging from a theoretical understanding of the tools to their operational and organisational impact. The tool enables an analysis of skills at both individual and organisational levels, to identify actual training needs, highlight skills already present within teams, and target investment in training and upskilling more precisely.

Data from Made and PoliMi show that the proportion of businesses that have launched structured AI training programmes rises as their size increases: it stands at 6 per cent amongst small businesses and 20 per cent amongst medium-sized businesses. One of the main reasons for this lag is that 43 per cent of the smallest companies are dominated by the belief that AI will not have a significant impact on their business in the short term. This perception is even lower in companies where the average age of staff exceeds 50: 55 per cent do not prioritise the development of AI skills at all, and 73 per cent do not prioritise computer programming. ‘Digital transformation cannot be limited to the introduction of new technologies or access to consultancy services: to be effective, it must start with companies’ awareness and people’s ability to understand its opportunities and impacts. This is where training plays a central role. For MADE, this means building a structured programme that helps companies, first and foremost, to understand what skills they need, and then to develop and apply them in practice within business processes. Only in this way can technology become a genuine driver of competitiveness,” explained Marta Rispoli, Head of Guidance and Training at the MADE Competence Centre for Industry 4.0.

Training is examined in its broadest sense, whilst also drawing a hierarchical distinction: fewer than 50 per cent of micro and small businesses prioritise skills development for senior management, only 30 per cent have a structured training plan, and just 7 per cent have a dedicated human resources department. In addition to a lack of awareness regarding the impact of AI, a different approach to training also influences the decisions of smaller businesses. 65 per cent of businesses cite a lack of time during working hours as the main obstacle to non-compulsory training, followed by a lack of financial resources (20 per cent). It is no coincidence that 90 per cent of micro-enterprises fund training activities exclusively from their own resources, whilst only a minority make use of schemes such as Joint Inter-professional Funds (15 per cent) or tax incentives (7 per cent). Time and budget remain, in fact, the two main missing levers.