UK to use AI to prepare for AI-induced employment challenges

The UK Government has announced a set of tools to help Brits better prepare for AI-induced changes in the job market, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to make this technology work "for everyone, not just the privileged few."

The government has detailed how a new partnership between government, industry, and trade unions – The Early Careers Jobs Alliance – could better support entry-level jobs.

For example, according to the plan, 400,000 young people "across the most disadvantaged schools in the UK" should receive AI and tech training, while a new AI bootcamp scheme is to be rolled out nationwide in England, starting with a pilot in the North West this summer.

Participants in the bootcamps are promised workplace and entry-level AI training, with a fully paid AI apprenticeship upon completion. The latter will be facilitated by local employers such as JD Sports, BAE Systems, PA Consulting, Agilisys, and the councils of Wigan, Blackpool, Oldham, Blackburn, and Lancashire.

Depending on the success of these bootcamps, the program might be rolled out across England in the 2027–2028 academic year.

Meanwhile, a separate pilot is scheduled to be launched in early 2027 around the North East’s AI Growth Zone. This program should provide at least 6 months of work, during which participants will receive hands-on job training in AI with tech companies such as Accenture, Microsoft, and Sage.

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"It’s time to turn the tables. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, at risk of falling out of the system at 16, should be placed on a pedestal and not be seen as a problem. AI and new technologies are a leveler," Mo Isap OBE, CEO of IN4 Group, was quoted as saying in the announcement.

According to him, these young people with native digital and AI literacy "can be superheroes in the workplace."

The £20 million-backed Alliance is also set to publish an initial report this autumn on examples of best practice to inform future work. Additionally, a 3-month trial of a new AI assistant designed to help job seekers build their CVs and advise on job applications and career development has been announced.

On Monday, during his speech at London Tech Week, Keir Starmer said that the government is using "tech to bring opportunity to every corner of the country – helping people into work, tackling inequalities, boosting skills and building a fairer future."

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