A Blackburn entrepreneur has secured Government backing for a pioneering AI apprenticeship programme aimed at helping young people at risk of becoming unemployed after leaving school.
The initiative, designed by Mo Isap and delivered through IN4 Group, was announced by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology during London Tech Week.
The AI Native Youth pilot will launch this summer and create a pathway into digital apprenticeships for 16-year-olds who are at risk of becoming NEET – not in education, employment or training.
Initially, 60 young people from Lancashire and Greater Manchester will take part in the programme, with a focus on care leavers and others considered most vulnerable to falling out of education and employment.
A minimum of 10 young people from each participating area will then begin an £18,000 digital apprenticeship in September.
The programme has the backing of employers including JD Sports, BAE Systems, PA Consulting and Agilisys, alongside councils in Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, Wigan, Blackpool, and Oldham.
The pilot builds on IN4 Group’s existing MEGA Hubs network, which operates in more than 250 schools across the North West and has delivered STEM programmes and scholarships to more than 14,000 students.
More than one million people aged between 16 and 24 are currently classed as NEET across the UK. In the North West, the figure stands at almost 124,000 young people.
Mr Isap said the programme was designed to tackle the issue before young people reached the point of becoming disconnected from education or work.
He said: “You can’t fix a million young people at risk of becoming NEET by tinkering around the edges. We have to disrupt the system.
“AI Native Youth gives young people a clear, paid pathway from school into high-value digital apprenticeships, starting in Year 10 and carrying them through to their first proper role.
“We’ve spent years building the MEGA Hubs, the school relationships, the local authorities, and employer partnerships, and I’m proud to bring this investment to my hometown of Blackburn and across Lancashire.”
The programme begins in Key Stage 4 and runs alongside the school curriculum, helping pupils develop AI and technology skills before progressing into Level 3 digital apprenticeships at the age of 16.
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The Government said the scheme would help create new opportunities for young people while supporting the growing demand for AI and technology skills.
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: “We are ensuring young people get the support and backing they need to realise their full potential and build rewarding careers in technology and AI.
“By partnering with IN4 Group to deliver this first-of-its-kind AI apprenticeship programme in the North West, we are opening up high-quality AI job opportunities for young people who are most at risk of leaving education and facing unemployment.”
If successful, the programme is expected to expand to support 1,000 young people over the next year, with the North West acting as the lead region for the model.
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