AI Bootcamp Launched in North West to Combat Youth Unemployment

• AI summer bootcamp kicks off in the North West to prevent young people falling into unemployment
• First of its kind initiative brings together government with industry to give young people three weeks of AI and workplace skills training 
• Businesses and public sector organisations across the North West, including JD Sports and Heinz, will have apprenticeships on offer to help people move into employment

Young people out of work or at risk of entering unemployment after school are set to benefit from a first of its kind AI summer bootcamp kicking off in the North West this week.

The Government’s new TechFirst AI Apprenticeship Pathway will build on the Prime Minister’s mission to raise the profile of technical education and create opportunities in every postcode.

Young recruits from communities including Wigan, Blackburn, Blackpool and towns right around the North West have now started their training.

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 3 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.

This builds on the Prime Minister’s reforms to ensure every young person has a clear route into skilled work and last week’s commitments from the National Grid to help 5,000 young people into work through a £5m per year Power Within Employability Fund.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said:

“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. 

“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.”

AI Minister Kaniskha Narayan said:

“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.

“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.”

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.

This builds on the initial work of the £200m TechFirst skills programme which since being announced in summer 2025 has already reached over 100,000 young people, helped 500 domestic PhD students with financial support for critical tech research, and is preparing to rollout to schools from September.

Mo Isap OBE, CEO of IN4 Group, said: 

“Too many young people are leaving school without a clear route into the opportunities AI is creating. If we’re serious about tackling youth unemployment, we have to rethink how young people move from education into work by creating pathways that connect talent with paid careers.

“We’ve spent years building trusted partnerships with schools, local authorities and employers across the North West through our MEGA Hubs, and with the support of Government we now have the opportunity to demonstrate what’s possible.

“We have created a model that gives more young people a genuine route into high-value careers where AI skills are increasingly essential, while helping employers develop the talent they need for the future.” 

Programme participant case studies

Ella, 16, Wigan, said:

“I have lived in Wigan my whole life. Throughout my primary school years, we were told high school was going to be a massive change, and teachers would make it out to be an intimidating place to go.

“High school was a change, but nothing like how we were told it would be. Progressing through high school wasn’t easy, but by the final two years the same cycle repeated. We were told that college was harder, more intense, bigger workloads.

“However, the idea of going into an apprenticeship wasn’t something regularly touched on. It’s like a standard expectation that every student goes to college, even if it doesn’t suit their way of learning.

“I’d like to say I’m a keen individual with high aspirations to achieve, and for me personally I find the academics of the education system really challenging. It’s difficult for me to process things that need to be wrote down over and over again, and find a structure to set work out through. This caused me to dwell on certain lessons such as English, due to the excessive writing- despite genuinely enjoying the subject. 

“I think opportunities such as this TechFirst AI course are worth putting more focus on. Especially considering how much more difficult it is to get a job now, most places want their staff to have experience, and coming out of high-school/college you don’t have that.”

Ethan, 15, Wigan, said:

“I am 16 soon and I have grown up in Wigan with my mum and step-dad, while seeing my dad every other weekend. My mum is currently a carer and her partner needs care after a spinal injury from a serious motorcycle accident. I help out at home wherever I can. These experiences have helped me become, what I think, is mature for my age.

“In school, I enjoyed some of the later years of school and my chosen subjects, I like learning things when it is hands on and I think I do well with having supportive teachers. I now feel like I want to just move into the workplace, gain practical experience and continue learning.

“I enjoy being agile and learning new things and I think a work-based environment suits me best. I am especially excited about this programme because technology is constantly evolving – it’s the future and I want to keep developing my skills and knowledge. Being part of a new programme like this is a brilliant opportunity and I feel very lucky to be one of the first in the country to ever do this. Whether or not it leads directly to an apprenticeship, I think the experience is a massive win for me – I will learn so much and even have something to put on my CV.”

Jiya, 21, Blackpool, said:

“Growing up, I was originally from London before moving to Blackpool when I was three. From an early age, I always wanted to become an architect, but during my first year at university, I discovered a strong passion for AI and technology. This interest grew to the point where I began teaching myself how to code and exploring different ways technology can be used to solve problems and create opportunities.

“I also volunteer with the Fylde Coast Hindu Society, where I use different digital tools and software to support their marketing strategies. This experience has allowed me to develop my technical and creative skills while gaining practical experience in using technology to achieve real-world outcomes.

“After realising that architecture was no longer the right path for me, I made the difficult decision to leave university. Since then, I have been exploring my next steps and looking for an opportunity that will allow me to build on my existing skills and develop a clearer career direction.

“I am particularly excited about this opportunity because it would allow me to deepen my knowledge and understanding of AI and technology, while gaining valuable practical experience. I hope it will help me progress towards paid employment and give me the opportunity to use my skills, creativity and enthusiasm to add real value to the industry.”

Megan, 16, Blackburn, said:

“I lived in Blackburn my whole life, I live with my family – mother, father and 3 dogs and my brother. I’ve never really known what Ive wanted to do in life and when I got offered this program it really sparked my interest and as AI is the future it’s given me a vital opportunity to look at and use it in many ways especially as a creative person. I get to look at this in bizarre, fantastic ways.”