GALWAY, IRELAND – 2025-11-28
Alison has reached a new milestone: one million Graduates in the United Kingdom. This achievement, in one of the world’s most developed and competitive education markets, reflects a major shift in how people across the UK learn, train, and prepare for work.
The milestone highlights the UK’s strong appetite for flexible, accessible, skill-based learning. As employers place increasing value on what people can do rather than what they have studied, interest in short, practical, and career-relevant courses continues to rise.
For Alison, reaching one million Graduates in the UK signals the platform’s expanding role in supporting lifelong learning across all life stages: from early-career professionals building confidence, to experienced workers upskilling for new roles, to unemployed individuals rebuilding their prospects with job-ready skills, and career-changers gaining the knowledge they need to successfully transition into new fields.
The Impact of Free Skills-Based Training on the UK’s Workforce
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the UK faces persistent skills gaps across sectors such as health, technology, and social care. Free, online, skills-focused learning helps people move into in-demand roles more quickly and affordably. The growing cost of living and expensive tuition fees mean many people cannot afford traditional routes into further and higher education. Alison’s zero-cost model gives Learners from low-income or unemployed backgrounds access to skills that will allow them to rebuild their confidence, strengthen their job prospects, and take meaningful steps towards a more secure and independent future.
One such Learner is Mary Alexander Samuel, a Paramedic who graduated from university in 2022 but struggled to find employment because she was not a citizen of the country where she had trained. Armed with fresh certifications and evidence of ongoing learning, Mary applied for an International Paramedic position with the NHS and was successful.
“After almost two years of unemployment since graduating, I’m now working as an International Paramedic in the NHS,” she said. “Alison was a life-saver. It bridges the gap for people from low-income and unemployed backgrounds to keep learning and upskilling. I 100% recommend Alison: my father and sister are starting courses soon.”
Mary now plans to continue building her skills through further certifications, a future Master’s degree, and eventually medical school. She is one of the vast number of UK Graduates who have found immense value in learning with Alison, and for many, the learning never really ends. Alison is the ideal platform for people to begin a journey of lifelong learning.
Giving Every Learner in the UK a Fair Chance to Grow
Alison is giving people at every stage of life a free, flexible way to keep their skills up to date in a fast-changing economy. Whether it’s someone in Birmingham reskilling into digital marketing, a nurse in Manchester updating healthcare knowledge, or a parent in Glasgow returning to work, Alison’s self-paced online courses, Certificates, and Diplomas help Learners fit study around busy lives and tight budgets. With no tuition fees and courses across areas like IT, Business, Languages, and Artificial Intelligence, Alison supports the UK’s drive for upskilling, employability, and personal development, so that people can keep learning, progressing, and adapting throughout their entire lives.
Ciaran Cannon, Vice-President of Global Affairs at Alison said, “In the UK, Alison’s growth reflects a changing attitude to learning, one that values flexibility, inclusivity, and lifelong opportunity. One million Graduates show that when education is free and accessible, people of all ages and backgrounds seize the chance to better their lives.”
Advancing the UK’s Skills Agenda in a New Workplace Reality
The UK’s future competitiveness will depend on ensuring that people in every region have access to the skills that modern work demands. Alison’s milestone of one million graduates in the UK reinforces the role of open, flexible learning in supporting that transition, strengthening social mobility and regional development along the way. As Alison continues to expand its free course library, more people across the UK gain the chance to build stronger careers, contribute to local economies, and participate fully in a fast-changing world of work.
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Explore free career-building courses designed to boost employability, confidence, and job readiness. Learners from the UK can study anytime, anywhere with the Alison App for Android and iOS, accessing thousands of flexible, self-paced courses on the go. To read more inspiring stories of Learners who have found great value in Alison courses, visit our Testimonials page.
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About Alison
Alison is a global leader in free online learning and skills development. With over 50 million registered Learners across 193 countries (as of October 2025), Alison empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to upskill quickly and effectively — at zero cost.
The Alison platform provides immediate access to over 6,000 free, CPD-accredited courses, covering essential areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Project Management, Business Operations, Healthcare and Sustainability. Courses are created by a mix of independent experts and global leaders, including IBM, Stanford and Microsoft.
For organisations, Alison offers a Free Learning Management System (LMS) that enables unlimited Learners to access thousands of courses with no upfront cost. A premium version with advanced analytics and customisation is also available. Alison's offering includes a full suite of assessments and psychometric tools, including a Workplace Personality Assessment, Mental Health & Wellbeing Assessment, English Language Proficiency Test, as well as Numeracy, Verbal, and Abstract Reasoning tests. To further support career development, Learners also gain access to a Career Guide, a Resumé Builder, and the ability to study offline through the Alison App.
In 2025, Alison is launching a Global Recruitment Service to connect employers directly with skilled, motivated Learners. The platform is also expanding its reach with multilingual versions, starting with full Spanish, French, and Hindi offerings — reaffirming its mission to make education accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Founded in 2007, Alison pioneered the concept of free, large-scale online learning and is recognised as the world’s first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. Today, its mission continues: to break down barriers to learning, helping people gain skills, build confidence, and improve their lives — no matter where they live or what they earn.
