AI Belongs to Everyone, Especially the Next Generation: How TECwomen CIC is Empowering Tomorrow’s Innovators

There’s a quiet revolution underway in the UK, one that’s placing the power of artificial intelligence directly into the hands of young people. Taking decisive action to futureproof the nation’s economy and workforce, the UK Government has recently launched a £187 million programme aimed at transforming the way AI is taught, learned, and accessed across the country.

Part of the broader modern Industrial Strategy, the “TechFirst” programme intends to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities for people of all ages and backgrounds to prepare for the tech careers of the future. The most critical element of this strategy is “TechYouth”, a £24 million effort specifically targeting secondary school students.

The goal? To introduce over one million young people to AI fundamentals over the next three years. Through real world applications, practical tools, and curriculum aligned content, students will begin to understand the technology that's rapidly reshaping everything from health care to creative arts.

Alongside funding for AI tools in classrooms, the government has also committed £45 million to improve digital infrastructure and £8.3 million to boost maths confidence, particularly among girls, recognising that barriers to STEM start early and are often reinforced by lack of access and representation.

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has summed up the move by saying  “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.”

With the government’s ambition having support of global tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and NVIDIA, who have already pledged their support through training, materials, and mentorship.

This momentum supports our efforts here at TECwomen, with our latest UPLIFT programme, nextgenUPLIFT, being developed specifically to support young people in harnessing the capabilities of AI tools. Rather than getting swept away by them. Launching on 14th July 2025, nextgenUPLIFT is a fully-funded, hybrid training programme purposefully designed for 16–22  year old women and people of underrepresented genders. Embodying the government’s vision of how we should be supporting young people to shape the future with AI.

nextgenUPLIFT equips young people with the tools to not only understand AI, but to use it creatively and strategically in their own lives. Participants explore how AI can be used to enhance schoolwork, support job applications, and unlock entirely new career paths. One of the programme’s highlights is its in person workshop, “Playing with AI,” where learners will build their own GPTs (generative pre-trained transformers)  and connect with a growing community of peers.

What makes nextgenUPLIFT so powerful is that it meets participants where they are and brings them forward, demystifying AI and showing that it’s a tool for everyone, not just techies. In doing so, it directly supports the government's ambition to make AI education inclusive, accessible, and genuinely empowering.

Whether you’re a young person eager to explore the future or someone who knows someone who could benefit, now is the time to act. nextgenUPLIFT is open for sign ups, and it’s completely free!

In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and automation, helping young people understand and harness AI, is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. The UK is investing in this future. With nextgenUPLIFT, so can you.

Register for your full funded place now: https://forms.gle/LsSf9QHntudLQHmN7