Full Breakdown
AI Bootcamps Target NEET Youth in Preston
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A three-week pilot programme is underway at the Vault community hub opposite Preston bus station. The trial, run by IN4 Group under contract with the UK government, offers AI training to 70 young people aged 16-24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Participants learn to build AI tools, understand business applications and practice responsible use, with the aim of securing AI-focused apprenticeships after the course.
Background & Context
Youth unemployment remains a pressing issue in the United Kingdom; nearly one million people fall into the NEET category, roughly one in ten of the age group. Policymakers view artificial intelligence as both a potential threat to entry-level jobs and a possible lever for improving employability. The Preston bootcamps are part of a broader effort to address the “lost generation” risk highlighted in recent reports on the NEET crisis.
Programme Design and Partnerships
The pilot combines classroom instruction with hands-on projects, emphasizing clean data for AI models. Two apprenticeship pathways are offered: an AI-marketing specialist track for aspiring content creators and an AI-support role on IT helpdesks. Corporate partners JD Sports, Heinz and Agilysys have pledged apprenticeship slots tailored to the skills taught. Participants such as 18-year-old Khudeija Rafique (Burnley) and 17-year-old Remy Simms (Preston) report that the training reshapes their view of AI from a competitor to a tool they can wield.
Expert Views on Impact
Former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn warns that without systemic reforms—beyond AI training—the NEET problem will persist. Dr Bouke Klein Teeselink of King’s College London notes a lack of robust data on AI’s effect on non-graduate employment, suggesting the bootcamps could help fill that evidence gap. Chris Goulden, deputy chief executive of the Youth Futures Organisation, argues that AI is not the primary driver of rising NEET numbers, which he attributes to post-COVID mental-health challenges and a sluggish economy, though he acknowledges AI will increasingly influence many jobs.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is an opportunity to bridge a gap, to improve productivity and bring AI into organisations,” — Lauren Monks, an executive at IN4 Group, the company contracted to run the programme
- “It’s more to do with mental health issues and a general slowdown in the economy. But that’s not to be complacent, because AI is doing new things every day and it’s going to affect lots of jobs.” — Chris Goulden