Digital Innovators are delighted to be working with WM5G to help deliver one of the UK’s most ambitious programmes for digital and AI skills.
As the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer , announces a new national drive to unlock opportunities for young people in tech, the £187m Department for Science, Innovation and Technology TechFirst programme is set to reach 1 million young people and support 7.5 million workers with AI and digital skills.
Digital Innovators and WM5G have been appointed as TechFirst Youth Delivery Partners for the West Midlands Combined Authority region, with coverage extending across Herefordshire Council, Shropshire Council, Staffordshire County Council, Warwickshire County Council and Worcestershire County Council.
Working alongside leading technology companies, we’ll help young people aged 11–18 explore and engage with six frontier technologies. These technologies offer the greatest growth potential for the UK while also strengthening our national security and technological sovereignty.
- Semiconductors
- Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT)
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Cyber Security
- Engineering Biology
- Quantum Technologies
The programme will also strengthen connections between schools, colleges and employers through hands-on, employer-informed learning, helping young people understand the opportunities available across the growing digital economy.
Through an immersive Frontier Tech Lab at Millennium Point in Birmingham and a region-wide in-schools programme, we’ll also create opportunities for young people to build confidence, develop future-ready skills such as collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, and gain meaningful exposure to real-world technology and careers.
At Digital Innovators, our mission has always been to bridge the gap between education and employment. We’re proud to be part of a programme that will inspire the next generation and open new pathways into future careers.
You can read the government’s full press release for this announcement here.