Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a luxury for big tech companies – it’s becoming a must-have for businesses of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Yet adopting AI is not as simple as buying a new software tool. One often overlooked key to successful AI adoption is investing in people. Specifically, SMEs should ensure their employees have dedicated time during the workweek to learn and experiment with AI. Why? Because if staff are too busy or untrained, even the best AI tools will go underused. By carving out time for AI upskilling and exploration, companies empower their teams to embrace AI’s potential. This practical guide explains why giving employees time to learn AI is crucial for adoption and how SMEs can make it happen, based on recent insights and thought leadership. 

The AI Skills Gap in Small Businesses 

Many SMEs are eager to use AI for boosting productivity and efficiency . However, a major challenge is the skill gap – employees often lack the knowledge or confidence to use AI tools effectively. In fact, a shortage of AI-skilled talent is among the top barriers to adoption for organizations globally. A recent Business.com study of SMBs found that only about 52% of companies using AI actually train their employees to use the technology . It’s no surprise then that over half of employees in the survey felt they needed more AI training, and only about one-third felt truly confident in their AI skills. The consequence of this training gap is clear: without support, staff may struggle or shy away from using AI in their day-to-day work. 

Closing this gap is not just a “nice to have” – it’s essential for competitive advantage. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2025 report noted that 77% of organizations plan to focus on reskilling or upskilling their existing workforce to work effectively alongside AI, making it the top workforce strategy to handle AI-driven disruption . In short, SMEs that invest in developing their people’s AI skills will be far better positioned to reap AI’s benefits than those that leave their teams to figure things out alone. 

Why Employees Need Time to Learn AI 

Even when businesses recognize the need for AI training, there’s a practical hurdle: time. Employees today juggle heavy workloads, and many feel they “don’t have time to learn AI skills” on top of their regular duties . If learning AI is treated as an optional extra to be done after hours, most people simply won’t get around to it. One result of this dynamic is resistance or superficial adoption – some workers, feeling pressured to use AI without proper understanding, even admit to pretending to use AI tools because they lack confidence . Clearly, expecting staff to magically become AI-proficient without allocating work time for learning creates stress and stifles genuine adoption. 

The solution is to bake learning into the workweek. Recent surveys show forward-thinking companies are doing exactly that: about one-third of professionals expected to use AI report that their employer has given them dedicated time at work to learn AI skills . By giving employees permission and time to explore AI, employers send a powerful message that learning is part of the job, not an extracurricular burden. This approach directly addresses the “no time to learn” problem – instead of overloading employees, it builds AI learning into their schedule. As a result, staff can approach new tools with curiosity rather than anxiety, knowing they have support to develop their skills during work hours. 

The Benefits of Dedicating Learning Time 

Making time for AI learning isn’t just an altruistic perk for employees – it delivers concrete benefits to the business. Companies that prioritize training and upskilling see much higher engagement with AI. For example, a study of SMBs found that when companies offered AI training, 75% of employees used AI daily, whereas when no training was offered, only 25% did so . In other words, trained employees are far more likely to integrate AI into their routine work, instead of avoiding it. It’s intuitive: an employee who has had time to practice with AI will find more opportunities to apply it, boosting overall adoption across the firm. 

Furthermore, employees who get dedicated learning time and support tend to feel more positive about AI’s role. They gain confidence as their skills grow, and they see AI as a tool to make their jobs easier rather than a threat. In one survey, 90% of SMB employees who received AI training reported that it made them better at their job. They also tend to be more enthusiastic and less stressed, since they understand how to use AI effectively.

Another industry survey showed that the vast majority of workers – 92% – agreed with their leadership’s approach to AI when proper training or learning time was provided, and feelings of burnout actually fell as people incorporated AI to lighten their workload . Giving teams time to upskill creates a virtuous cycle: as people become proficient with AI, they discover new ways these tools can help, which improves productivity and morale, encouraging even broader adoption. 

Real-world examples back this up. Global professional services firm EY found that its employees craved more learning time. “When we asked EY employees what they wanted more of, they said it was time – specifically, time to spend on learning and developing new skills,” reports EY’s learning and development leader . In response, the company introduced a concept called “Thrive Time” – dedicated and protected time for employees to focus on learning and growth. The payoff was remarkable: with time to learn and new AI tools to experiment with, EY saw an explosion in AI adoption internally. Over 85% of EY’s 340,000 employees completed a new “AI Essentials” course, and the firm’s in-house AI chatbot tool reached a user adoption rate above 81% within nine months.

This example shows that even in a large organization, carving out time for upskilling can lead to extremely high engagement with AI. SMEs can take a cue from this – you may not have the resources of EY, but the principle holds true at any scale: give your people time to learn, and they will embrace new technology much faster. 

Perhaps most importantly, dedicating time for AI learning helps nurture a culture of continuous learning. Instead of seeing training as a one-off compliance task, it becomes an ongoing, natural part of work life. Experts emphasize that learning must shift from a “compliance or optional activity” to something “deeply embedded within how we undertake work."

When employees see that leadership values their development (enough to allocate work hours for it), they are more likely to take initiative in building their skills. Over time, this learning culture will keep your company agile and innovative, able to adapt as AI technologies evolve. Companies that commit to lifelong learning will be able to master AI’s rapid advancements, while those that don’t risk falling behind due to a growing knowledge gap . 

How SMEs Can Build AI Learning into the Workweek 

For many SMEs, the idea of giving employees “free” time for AI learning may sound challenging – after all, smaller businesses have limited manpower and busy schedules. But you don’t need a giant training budget or elaborate program to get started. Here are practical strategies SMEs can use to embed AI learning into the workweek: 

• Schedule Micro-Learning Sessions: Set aside a small, regular block of time for AI education. This could be an hour a week designated as an “AI Hour” or biweekly team workshops. Keep these sessions short and focused – for example, a 30-minute demo of a new AI tool or a quick tutorial relevant to your industry. Avoid overly long or technical trainings that overwhelm people; instead offer bite-sized lessons tailored to employees’ roles . Consistency is key – treating AI learning as a routine part of the schedule signals that it’s a priority, not an afterthought. 

  
  

• Encourage On-the-Job Experimentation: Learning is most effective when it’s hands-on. Encourage employees to practice using AI tools during their normal work tasks, where applicable. This might mean letting a customer support rep spend some time experimenting with an AI chatbot to handle common inquiries, or allowing a marketing staffer to use an AI copywriting assistant for a campaign. On-the-job training is actually one of the most popular and effective ways people learn AI, because they can apply prompts and tools to real work scenarios and see immediate results . Be sure managers explicitly permit employees to take this experimentation time – it should be seen as part of getting the job done (with better tools), not “goofing off.” 

  
  

• Create AI Champions and Peer Learning: Identify a few early adopters or tech-savvy team members who show enthusiasm for AI, and empower them as internal AI champions. Give these folks dedicated time and resources to delve deeper into AI solutions, run pilot projects, and then share their learnings with others . For instance, an “AI champion” could spend a couple of hours a week trying new features in an AI analytics tool and later host a brown-bag lunch to teach colleagues what they discovered. This peer-to-peer approach not only spreads knowledge organically, but also builds excitement as people see one of their own finding success with AI. Make sure to recognize and reward these champions – their contributions can significantly accelerate adoption across the company. 

  
  

• Protect the Learning Time: Simply allocating an hour is not enough if employees are pressured to skip it for “real work.” Take a page from EY’s Thrive Time – when you schedule learning time, treat it as protected time that shouldn’t be interrupted by meetings or deadlines . Communicate from leadership that during the AI learning hour (or whatever format you choose), the priority is learning. This might require some culture change, but lead by example: managers should participate in trainings or at least refrain from pulling team members away during their learning periods. By respecting the time set aside for upskilling, you reinforce its importance. 

  
  

• Offer Role-Relevant Resources: Ensure that the training content or AI tools you introduce are relevant to each team’s daily work. Generic AI theory has limited impact – people need to see how AI applies to their tasks. Consider providing role-based tutorials (e.g. AI for sales, AI for accounting) so employees can immediately connect learning to action. Many organizations find success with short, self-paced online courses and certifications that employees can complete alongside their work duties . These can supplement live sessions and let each person deepen skills at their own pace. The key is to make learning resources easily accessible (via an internal portal or scheduled sessions) and aligned with the actual tools and use-cases your business cares about. 

By implementing strategies like these, even a small company can cultivate a workforce that is continually growing more AI-savvy. Remember, the goal is to integrate learning into the flow of work, not to add onerous tasks. As one tech leader put it, “learning has to move from being seen as a compliance or optional activity, to becoming deeply embedded in how we work” . That means creating an environment where exploring a new AI tool or taking a tutorial is as normal as answering emails – it’s just part of the workday. 

Fostering a Continuous Learning Culture 

Giving employees time to learn AI is ultimately about building a culture of continuous learning and innovation. When SMEs encourage their teams to develop new skills on the job, they send a powerful message: the company is investing in its people for the long run. This culture shift pays dividends beyond just AI tools – it makes the organization more adaptable to any new technology or process change. Leaders should champion this mindset from the top. For example, ensuring executives and managers also engage with AI learning (and even experiment with AI themselves) demonstrates that everyone in the company is on the journey together . 

Finally, be patient and persistent. AI adoption is not an overnight switch; it’s a gradual process of learning, trying, and refining. There may be setbacks or skepticism at first, but with steady support, employees will gain confidence. Regularly celebrate small “wins” – whenever someone finds a smart way to save time with an AI tool or completes a training module, share that story. This creates momentum and shows that the time invested in learning is yielding real benefits. Over time, these efforts create an upskilled team that feels empowered by AI rather than intimidated by it. 

Conclusion 

For SMEs, adopting AI successfully isn’t just about choosing the right software – it’s about empowering your people to use it effectively. That empowerment starts with giving employees the time and space to learn. By embedding AI learning into the workweek, providing targeted training, and fostering a supportive learning culture, small businesses can dramatically increase their AI adoption and see improvements in productivity and innovation. Companies that embrace this approach recognize that their human talent is their greatest asset in the AI era. When your team has the skills and confidence to leverage AI, your business can unlock new levels of growth and efficiency. In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the best ROI for AI comes from investing in your employees’ ability to understand and apply it. Give them the time to learn, and they’ll give your business the competitive edge of a truly AI-enabled workforce.