YOUNG PEOPLE across the West Midlands are set to get earlier exposure to the cutting edge technology.
Through the rollout of TechFirst, 11 to 18 year old will get experience with frontier technologies including Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber Security, Engineering Biology, Quantum Technologies and Semiconductors.
WM5G, alongside its delivery partner Digital Innovators, has been appointed as the TechFirst’s youth delivery partner for the West Midlands Combined Authority region, with coverage extending across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Part of the UK Government-funded TechFirst programme, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the initiative aims to remove skills as a barrier to growth in the digital and technology sector.
The programme will provide opportunities to develop digital skills, build confidence with AI, and gain insight into the wide range of technology-enabled careers now found across the employment ecosystem – not only in traditional “tech roles”, but increasingly across sectors including sport, healthcare, manufacturing, business services and the public sector.
Nationally, skills shortages remain significant, including over 130,000 STEM vacancies and 13,500 digital vacancies.
In the region 56 per cent of people lack the essential digital skills needed for work, while the region’s digital economy is growing rapidly and already supports more than 140,000 jobs.
West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, said: “We cannot afford to let our young people fall behind at a time when technology is rapidly changing the world of work. We must prepare young people for this new tech-driven economy, and that’s why programmes like TechFirst are so important.
“It means we can start early, building the skills and confidence needed in high-growth industries like AI, cyber security, and advanced engineering. By doing this, we give businesses the talent they need to innovate and grow, and young people the skills to secure a job around which they can build a successful future.”
Lesley Holt, adoption director at WM5G, said: “Frontier technologies are reshaping how every sector operates, from healthcare to advanced manufacturing, but too many young people still don’t know what these technologies are, or where they could take them.
“TechFirst is designed to change that — building awareness and confidence, strengthening understanding beyond the national curriculum, and helping young people see how these skills apply across a wide range of careers, not just within the technology sector.”
The partnership will bring together schools, colleges and employers to connect young people directly with real-world technologies combining career inspiration with hands-on, employer-informed learning.
Through a combination of in-school sessions and access to a dedicated physical Frontier Tech Lab in Birmingham, TechFirst Youth is said to give young people direct, hands-on exposure to the technologies shaping the future of work.
Schools and colleges will be able to connect students with immersive experiences that bring these technologies to life.
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