Technology Secretary announces AI support for young people

The Technology Secretary has announced three measures to reduce employability barriers for young people in the age of AI.

The measures, which were announced at the AI Adoption Summit, consist of the creation of an Early Careers Jobs Alliance, support for young people at risk of becoming NEET, and a new target for their “Tech First” upskilling scheme which establishes that 40% of recipients will be from the most disadvantaged schools.

Liz Kendall said that supporting underprivileged pupils would allow the UK to “draw on the talent that exists in every part of Britain”.

She said: “That is how they and our country succeed.”

The Early Careers Job Alliance will comprise a partnership between trade unions and businesses seeking to maintain entry-level pathways into business as roles continue to be reshaped. The Alliance will be co-chaired by the government’s AI Champion for the Digital and Technologies sector alongside Prospect’s general secretary, and will receive £20 million of funding.

The partnership will initially focus on the Digital and Technologies sector, largely due to the transformational effect of the uptake of AI on technology businesses, before being rolled out across all 8 Industrial Strategy sectors.

Secondly, the government also plans to establish free AI bootcamps, starting in the North East, for young people at risk of leaving school after their GCSEs and falling into unemployment. Those who complete the bootcamps will be guaranteed a fully paid AI apprenticeship with a local employer.

The scheme will commence in five local areas in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, and, if successful, will expand nationwide in the 2027 to 2028 academic year. It accompanies the establishment of a new programme in the North East providing intensive training and structured job placements in AI to those not in education and seeking work.

Finally, the government established that out of the 1 million pupils set to benefit from its flagship Tech First scheme, which is dedicated to helping people develop AI skills, 400,000 will come from deprived areas. The scheme seeks to increase the number of people integrating into the cyber security workforce.