Harris Federation and Maikai Announce Three-Year AI and Skills Partnership

Staff and students from Harris Federation, alongside representatives from Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and Maikai, at the launch of Maikai’s AI for Schools programme at Harris Academy Tottenham earlier this year. The initiative forms part of a new three-year partnership focused on AI, digital skills and employability pathways for staff and students across the Harris Federation.

The Harris Federation, one of England’s largest multi-academy trusts, has launched a strategic partnership with social impact business Maikai to deliver a comprehensive workforce development and student employability programme across its secondary schools.

Harris, which operates more than 50 academies across London, has signed a three-year agreement with Maikai to support staff and students through a programme spanning professional development, employability and sector leadership on AI in education.

Maikai will deliver levy-funded short courses, bootcamps and apprenticeships aligned to the school academic calendar. Provision will integrate with Harris Federation’s existing CPD and leadership frameworks, giving teachers and support staff structured routes to build practical AI and digital skills without disrupting their working patterns.

Students aged 11 to 18 will benefit from employer-led sessions, mentoring, mock interviews and clear routes into apprenticeships and careers. The programme is designed to address the growing gap between school-based learning and the skills employers now expect of young people entering the workforce.

The newly created Harris AI and Skills Forum will bring together staff, governors and students alongside education leaders, employers and EdTech organisations to explore ethical innovation in AI-enabled education.

David Ellis, Founder and CEO of Maikai, said:

“Schools are under enormous pressure to prepare young people for a rapidly changing world while also supporting staff through unprecedented technological change. This partnership with Harris Federation is about building a long-term model for how schools can embrace AI and digital transformation responsibly, creating better outcomes for both educators and students.”

Lee Mallin, Assistant Director for the South Quadrant of Secondary Schools at Harris Federation, said:

“AI and digital skills are becoming essential across every sector, and schools have an important role to play to ensure both staff and students have the training and confidence to us AI safely and responsibly. This partnership gives us the opportunity to take a strategic, trust-wide approach that builds capability and opportunity across our workforce and student community.”

The partnership is among the most ambitious of its kind in the state school sector. By combining apprenticeship levy funding, workforce capability mapping and student employability within a single, sustained programme, Harris Federation and Maikai aim to establish a replicable model for how large trusts can lead on responsible AI adoption, both within their own schools and across the education system.