The UK government is launching a new AI bootcamp in the north of England aiming to reduce the risk of youth unemployment.

The TechFirst AI Apprenticeship Pathway will recruit young people from communities in the north-west of England, including Wigan, Blackburn, Blackpool, and other towns.

Delivered on the ground by IN4 Group, the scheme will work in partnership with businesses and public sector organisations across the north-west, creating local career opportunities and trialling the best way to make AI training and career development work for young people today.

Designed to help stem the tide of youth falling into unemployment, the scheme will provide recruits with three weeks of AI and workplace skills training.

They will learn to build AI tools and understand how businesses use AI, how it can generate draft guides and documentation, and learn to use it responsibly and alongside human oversight and quality control.

Up to 70 young people aged 16 to 21 will take part in the pilot. The participants will also develop key workplace skills in office tools and systems, professional communication, teamwork, timekeeping and organisation, and how to work under pressure and problem-solve in workplace environments.

At the end of the scheme businesses and public sector organisations around the North West, including JD Sports, Heinz, and local SMEs, will have apprenticeships on offer to help people move into employment.

“Young people in every postcode deserve the opportunity to a great start to their adult life, and we are tackling the youth unemployment crisis head on,” Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said.

“This first of its kind AI bootcamp will support young people at a crucial juncture in their lives, connecting them with great training and career opportunities at the heart of their local communities.”

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The pilot scheme will test best practice and the results will be used to inform an England-wide AI skills and early careers scheme which will roll out next summer.

“AI is already transforming the world of work, from time-saving tools that cut out admin through to high-end tech that’s boosting vital fields like medical research,” AI Minister Kaniskha Narayan said.

“This is a huge opportunity that will directly benefit young people across the country. This new scheme is about giving them the skills they need to thrive in the AI workplace, and build careers in some of our most exciting industries.”