Shropshire companies and secondary schools set for share of £187m government AI training fund - here's what it means
Shropshire students and small businesses could be set to benefit from almost £200 million of Government funding for tech training schemes.
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The Government today announced £187m of funding for three programs aimed at bringing digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and workplaces across the country.
The flagship strand of its technology and AI skills programme, the £24m "TechYouth" programme, will give 1 million students across every secondary school in the UK the chance to learn about tech careers of the future.
In each of the UK’s regions, a "local delivery partner" will be selected by the Department for Skills and Training to run the programme and deliver activities to schools and colleges.
Around £18 million will also be made available under the "Techlocal" scheme, which will offer seed funding to help regional innovators and small businesses develop new tech products and adopt AI.
The Government says that by 2035, around 10 million workers will be in roles where AI will be part of their role or responsibilities in some form, with a further 3.9 million in roles directly in AI.
The AI sector alone is valued at £72.3 billion and is projected to exceed £800 billion by 2035. It is growing 30 times faster than the rest of the economy, employing over 64,000 people across more than 3,700 companies.
A panel made up of local tech businesses will be established in the region to decide which applications have merit, the Government says.
"Embedding these skills into our education system and local communities will help people of all backgrounds and ensure tech talent flourishes in every corner of our nation," said Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.
"These partnerships with industry will translate skills into real jobs and economic growth, putting more money in people’s pockets and breaking down barriers to opportunity. This is our Plan for Change in action – investing in the skills that will power our economy and deliver prosperity for working people across the country."
