Blackpool young people offered a route into the jobs of the future

Young People in Blackpool are the focus of a major new government-backed initiative aimed at preventing them from falling out of education, employment or training.

Between 10 and 12 16 year olds from Blackpool will be among 60 selected to take part in the pilot for a new AI skills bootcamp providing young people with a pathway to work.

It will provide them with workplace and entry-level AI training before guaranteeing those who complete the bootcamp a fully paid AI apprenticeship in the autumn. They will be taken on by local employers including BAE Systems and Blackpool Council. Then, if successful, the lessons from the pilot will support the rollout of a nationwide AI bootcamp programme across England next summer.

Young people finishing school want a chance to prove themselves but often struggle to get a foot in the door, while employers who want skilled staff often find it difficult to recruit locally. This pilot tackles both problems.

AI is already changing the way we work – in manufacturing, retail, public services or technology, these tools are becoming part of everyday life. The question is not whether AI will shape the future economy, it’s how young people locally can benefit from that change.

Innovation shouldn’t be something that only happens in cities and this programme brings investment, training and real jobs directly into our communities. The apprenticeships on offer are not work experience placements or short-term schemes – they are paid opportunities that give young people a recognised qualification and a pathway into long-term employment.

Blackpool has talented young people with ambition and potential – what they lack is opportunity. They need employers willing to invest in them and a government prepared to back them.

Alongside this pilot, the government is launching a new Early Career Jobs Alliance, bringing together employers, trade unions, government and young people to make sure entry-level jobs continue to exist as technology changes the workplace. An initial £20 million investment will help identify good practice and support businesses to create opportunities for the next generation.

The government is also expanding its TechFirst programme, helping 400,000 young people in some of the most disadvantaged schools across the country gain AI and technology skills.

Together these measures recognise that future of work is changing fast and that young people deserve support to adapt, learn and succeed within it.

The jobs of the future should not be reserved for a few places or a few people – they should be open to every young person willing to work hard and seize the opportunity. I’m so pleased that the government has chosen Blackpool for this pilot. It’s another nod of recognition from senior ministers that they understand – when Blackpool succeeds, Britain succeeds.