‘We can’t ignore AI risk to entry level jobs as over one million young people unemployed or not in education’

Over one million young people are currently not in education, employment or training. That is not just a statistic, it’s a generational crisis.

Behind every number is a young person ready to work, learn and build a future – but are being locked out of that opportunity. Parents want to know that if their children work hard, there will be a job for them and a path to a fulfilling life. But that path is becoming harder to find. Too many young people are struggling to take that first step from education to work.

And at the same time, AI is transforming the workplace at pace. AI brings massive opportunities – better jobs, improved public services, a stronger economy.

OPINION

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But we cannot ignore the risk that some entry level roles, the very jobs young people rely on to get started, are changing. We are determined to make sure everyone can have a stake in the future by providing the skills and opportunities to the people and places that need it most.

So everyone has the chance to seize the opportunities offered by this new technology. That is why we are stepping up support for young people at risk of falling out of the system.

We’re using TechFirst, our nationwide tech skills programme, to reach at least 400,000 students from disadvantaged schools – giving them the skills they need for the future.

So when they leave school, they don’t just see the tech sector as something distant – they see a place for themselves in it. But for those already at risk of becoming NEET, we need to go further.

That’s why we will be rolling out AI bootcamps across England next year – targeted at young people who might otherwise slip through the cracks.

We’re starting with a pilot scheme in the North West this summer where young people will receive intensive AI training before moving straight into paid apprenticeships with local employers.

We’re providing young people with both training and real routes into work. In the North East, we’re partnering with companies including Accenture, Microsoft and Sage as part of this government’s ambition to support young people already out of work.

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Starting with 20 participants and hoping to expand to 100 in future, they’ll receive six months training and work experience in agentic AI, designed to lead directly into sustained employment – a genuinely life changing opportunity.

Government cannot solve this alone. That’s why we’re bringing together businesses, trade unions and young people through a new Early Careers Job Alliance -promoting entry level roles and safeguarding routes into the jobs market for young people in the age of advanced AI.

The goal is simple: make sure the jobs of tomorrow still have a place for young people to start. Every time we meet young people we see the same thing – ambition, talent and drive. What’s missing isn’t potential. It’s opportunity. Our job is to change that.