Alliance with employers and unions aims to protect entry-level opportunities as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace.
The UK government has announced a major package of measures designed to help young people secure jobs in an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, including a new £20 million partnership focused on protecting entry-level career pathways.
The initiative, unveiled ahead of London Tech Week, combines support from government, businesses and trade unions to address concerns that AI could reduce opportunities for young people entering the workforce.
Central to the package is the launch of the Early Careers Jobs Alliance, a new body that will examine how AI is transforming entry-level roles and develop practical guidance for employers on maintaining pathways into skilled careers.
The alliance will be co-chaired by Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy and Katie Gallagher OBE, the government's AI Champion for the Digital and Technologies sector. It will bring together employers, trade unions, policymakers and young people to identify best practices and ensure workers are supported as technology changes the nature of work.
Initially focused on the digital and technology sector—one of the industries most heavily affected by AI adoption—the programme is expected to expand across all eight sectors covered by the government's Industrial Strategy. An initial report outlining early findings and recommendations is due to be published this autumn.
Alongside the alliance, ministers announced plans to provide AI and technology training to at least 400,000 students from some of the UK's most disadvantaged schools through the TechFirst programme.
The initiative will offer skills workshops, competitions, extracurricular activities and direct engagement with industry, with the aim of improving access to careers in technology and AI.
A nationwide AI bootcamp scheme is also being prepared, beginning with a pilot programme this summer in Lancashire and Greater Manchester. The scheme will target young people at risk of leaving education after their GCSEs and becoming unemployed.
Participants will receive free workplace and AI training before being guaranteed a paid AI apprenticeship upon completion. Local employers supporting the pilot include JD Sports, BAE Systems, PA Consulting and Agilisys, alongside several local authorities across the North West.
If the pilot proves successful, the government plans to roll out the programme across England during the 2027–28 academic year.
A separate pilot focused on unemployed young people will launch in early 2027 within the North East's AI Growth Zone. Participants will be offered at least six months of paid work experience and AI-focused job training through partnerships with major technology companies including Accenture, Microsoft and Sage.
The programme will be delivered through the government's Jobs Guarantee scheme and is intended to create long-term employment opportunities in the region's growing AI sector.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the government's objective was to ensure workers benefit from technological change rather than being left behind by it.
She said young people were looking for opportunities to gain skills and secure high-quality employment, adding that the government was acting now to prepare them for the future labour market.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said technological advances should create opportunities for all young people, regardless of background. He said the government's Youth Guarantee programme was designed to ensure every young person has access to work, training or education.
The announcement forms part of a wider government strategy to tackle youth unemployment and skills shortages. It comes alongside an £820 million investment in the Youth Guarantee programme, which ministers say will support nearly one million young people through the creation of 350,000 new training and work placements, 55,000 guaranteed jobs for the long-term unemployed and more than 360 youth hubs across Great Britain.
The measures will be formally outlined during the government's AI Adoption Summit on 8 June, where industry leaders and policymakers are expected to discuss how Britain can harness AI to drive economic growth while creating opportunities for the next generation of workers. Photo by mikemacmarketing, Wikimedia commons.
