AI skills drive in schools to ‘put power in hands of next generation’ – Starmer

8 June 2025, 22:34

Students use laptop computers to study in class
Royal High School. Picture: PA

Some one million students will be given access to AI learning resources as part of the Government’s ‘TechFirst’ scheme, Number 10 said.

Secondary school pupils will be taught skills in artificial intelligence (AI) as part of a drive to put the technological power “into the hands of the next generation”, Sir Keir Starmer will announce.

Some on million students will be given access to learning resources to start equipping them for “the tech careers of the future” as part of the Government’s £187 million “TechFirst” scheme, Downing Street said.

Meanwhile, staff at firms across the country will be trained to “use and interact” with chatbots and large language models as part of a plan backed by Google and Microsoft to train 7.5 million workers in AI skills by 2030.

The TechFirst programme will be split into four strands, with TechYouth – the £24 million “flagship” arm – aimed at giving students across every secondary school in the UK the chance to gain new AI skills training over three years.

The other strands are:

– TechGrad, backed by £96.8 million in funding and designed to support 1,000 domestic students a year with undergraduate scholarships in areas such as AI and computer science.

– A £48.4 million TechExpert scheme aiming to give up to £10,000 in additional funding to 500 domestic PhD students carrying out research in tech.

– TechLocal, backed by £18 million, will offer seed funding to small businesses developing new tech products and adopting AI.

The Prime Minister is also launching a new Government partnership with industry to train 7.5 million UK workers in essential skills to use AI by 2030.

Tech giants including Google, Microsoft, IBM, Nvidia, BT and Amazon have signed up to make “high-quality” training materials widely available to workers free of charge over the next five years, Number 10 said.

It comes as research commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) showed that by 2035, AI will play a part in the roles and responsibilities of around 10 million workers.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visiting a university lab
Sir Keir hosted a private reception at Chequers on Sunday with leading technology bosses and investors (PA)

The Prime Minister said: “We are putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation – so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it.

“This training programme will unlock opportunity in every classroom – and lays the foundations for a new era of growth.

“Too many children from working families like the one I grew up in are written off. I am determined to end that.”

Sir Keir hosted a private reception at Chequers on Sunday with leading technology bosses and investors, including former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, Faculty AI co-founder Angie Ma, Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis and Scale boss Alex Wang.

On Tuesday, he will invite industry figures to Downing Street, including 16-year-old AI entrepreneur Toby Brown, who recently secured 1 million dollars in Silicon Valley funding for his startup, Beem.

By Press Association

More Technology News

See more More Technology News

Data (Use and Access) Bill

Lords’ objections to Data Bill over copyright threatens its existence – minister

A primary school teacher looking stressed next to piles of classroom books

Pupils could gain more face-to-face time with teachers under AI plans

A self-driving Uber equipped with cameras and sensors drives the streets of Washington, DC

Uber to launch self-driving taxis in London next spring

Social media app icons displayed on an Apple iPhone

Social media giants can ‘get on’ and tackle fraud cases, says City watchdog

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle

Investments in UK tech sector will create hundreds of jobs, says Government

Rachel Reeves, left, wearing a lab coat and putting on some disposable gloves with Peter Kyle, both standing next to a microscope

Rachel Reeves to announce £86bn for science and technology in spending review

View of the Alphawave Semi logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen

Alphawave agrees £1.8bn takeover by America’s Qualcomm

The TikTok logo displayed on a phone

TikTok creating more than 500 new British jobs as UK users top 30 million

Starmer visit to London Tech Week conference

Sir Keir Starmer vows to overcome sceptical public on ‘harnessing power’ of AI

A sign for the Post Office

More than £1 billion paid to those wronged by Horizon scandal, Government says

One in three employers believe AI will boost productivity

‘Significant challenges’ in use of AI within UK screen sector

Australia will ban social media for under-16s.

Children could face 'two-hour social media limit' under new Government proposal

Peter Kyle

Minister says AI ‘does lie’ but defends Government amid copyright row

Ian Russell

Molly Russell’s father urges PM to act over online harms as ‘app cap’ considered

The Baden municipality of Schutterwald near Offenburg in Germany was ravaged by a plague of the ants in March

Foul-smelling ants that form supercolonies wreak havoc across Europe - with fears they could invade UK

Judges have warned against the use of deepfakes

Use of AI-generated fake cases in court could lead to sanctions, judges warn