Overview
- The government announced the Early Careers Jobs Alliance on Saturday, June 6, 2026 to map how AI is changing entry-level roles and to coordinate action between ministers, employers, trade unions and young people.
- The alliance will be co-chaired by Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy and the government’s AI Champion Katie Gallagher OBE and is backed by a confirmed £20 million funding package.
- A North West pilot offering intensive AI training linked directly to paid apprenticeships is due to start this summer while a separate North East partnership with Accenture, Microsoft and Sage is beginning with a small cohort.
- Ministers have pledged a nationwide roll-out of AI bootcamps across England next year and use of the TechFirst programme to reach at least 400,000 disadvantaged students as part of routes into work for those at risk of becoming NEET.
- Details on delivery, cohort sizes and timelines will be set out at the AI Adoption Summit and the programme’s success will depend on employer and union cooperation to turn training into steady paid jobs for over one million 16–24-year-olds currently not in education, employment or training.