Salesforce has announced a global-first initiative to provide free Slack Enterprise access to millions of higher and further education students in the UK, aimed at helping students develop practical AI-powered collaboration skills for the modern workplace.
Key takeaways
- Students will gain hands-on experience of AI-powered collaboration in an enterprise setting.
- Institutions retain administrative controls and can set permissions and guardrails.
- Student data remains protected under UK data regulations and is not used to train external AI models.
LONDON – 15 October 2026 – Salesforce today announced a global-first initiative to provide free Slack Enterprise access to millions of higher and further education students in the UK. Aimed at closing the UK’s digital skills gap, the pledge gives students a single place to learn, connect, and build real AI skills—right where their everyday conversations happen. At the same time, it helps institutions prepare future graduates with the same platform used by leading businesses across the UK and worldwide.
In the UK today, 61% of workers receive no AI training; this initiative builds digital fluency, directly boosting graduate employability at a time when 1 million young people in the UK are classified as NEET — not in education, employment or training.
Participating colleges and universities will use Slack to unlock new opportunities and AI-powered experiences that will boost learning and collaboration across campuses, for example connecting tutors and peers, streamlining campus services, or building active communities for distance learners.
Built on trusted enterprise technology
As the AI-powered work operating system used by more than 200,000 organisations and millions of people around the world, Slack provides a secure, centralised workspace where teams, workflows, and AI tools connect.
By integrating AI into everyday conversations, Slack gives students an easy way to build practical AI skills. Included with Slack Enterprise, Slackbot delivers instant, plain-language answers using accessible workspace files and discussions. Universities can also introduce AI agents directly into channels to handle student services queries, coordinate study groups, and assist academic research teams.
Every institution retains full administrative control. Colleges and universities can set customised permissions and guardrails based on their needs. Student data remains strictly protected, compliant with UK data regulations, and is never used to train external AI models.
Young people will define the next decade of UK business, and it’s imperative that students across all disciplines are able to learn to use AI responsibly.
Salesforce commitment to AI skills
The announcement marks a key milestone in Salesforce’s $6 billion commitment to its UK business through 2030, following the opening of its expanded London AI Campus, and builds on the company’s broader work to develop AI skills across the UK.
Salesforce’s Future Trailblazers initiative, an employee-led programme delivering AI literacy education to students across the UK and Ireland, has trained 14,500 students since launching earlier this year and is contributing to the UK Government’s goal of upskilling 10 million workers by 2030.
