The UK government has unveiled a sweeping national skills initiative aimed at training the next generation of workers and students for careers powered by artificial intelligence. The “TechFirst” program, announced in June by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will inject £187 million into schools and communities, delivering AI and digital skills training across all regions of the UK.
At the heart of the plan is “TechYouth,” a £24 million strand that will bring tech and AI learning to one million secondary school students over the next three years. Each UK secondary school will have access to new tools, training, and career opportunities tied to AI-driven technologies. The effort includes an online platform modeled on the successful CyberFirst Explorers initiative, which has already engaged over 100,000 students.
The TechFirst package is part of the government’s Plan for Change and is expected to underpin the forthcoming modern Industrial Strategy. It also includes three additional pillars:
- TechGrad (£96.8 million): Supporting 1,000 undergraduate tech scholarships per year and 200 postgraduate and elite AI scholarships.
- TechExpert (£48.4 million): Providing £10,000 grants to 500 domestic PhD students in emerging technology fields.
- TechLocal (£18 million): Offering seed funding to small businesses and regional innovators to develop and apply new AI products, with oversight from panels led by local tech businesses.
The program arrives as the AI sector in the UK, currently valued at £72.3 billion, is projected to surge past £800 billion by 2035. Yet a persistent skills gap remains one of the largest barriers to growth, particularly for startups and companies outside London. A TechNation report cited in the announcement revealed that one in three tech founders identify talent availability as their primary challenge.
To further address UK AI skills and workforce readiness, the government has also partnered with major industry players—including Google, Microsoft, IBM, NVIDIA, and Salesforce—to train 7.5 million workers in basic AI competencies by 2030. These firms have pledged to provide free access to high-quality training resources tailored to various sectors, from healthcare to manufacturing.
The announcement coincided with two new memorandums of understanding signed with NVIDIA to expand AI talent pipelines and research efforts. NVIDIA will also grow its AI lab in Bristol to include other regions of the UK.
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the initiative’s long-term goal: “Embedding these skills into our education system and local communities will help people of all backgrounds and ensure tech talent flourishes in every corner of our nation.”
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