The government says some 50,000 young people are expected to benefit from a programme to expand apprenticeships as it looks to tackle youth unemployment. The £725 million package, which was earmarked in the Budget and covers the next three years, will be used to create apprenticeships in sectors including AI, hospitality and engineering. Apprenticeships for people under the age of 25 at small and medium-sized businesses will be fully funded as part of the package, removing the 5% that they currently have to pay. The government is aiming to reverse a decline in the number of young people starting apprenticeships, which has fallen by almost 40% in the past decade. The funding also includes £140m for a pilot that the Department for Work and Pensions says will allow local mayors to connect young people with employers and apprenticeship opportunities, although it is unclear exactly how the money will be used.

Employers, recent graduates, people interested in technology and employees will be able to benefit from a new apprenticeship that has been created with the BBC, UK universities and a number of agencies. The Level 7 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Specialist Apprenticeship will give people the skills to help the BBC and others stay ahead in a data-driven future. In 2017, the BBC launched a major Data Science Research Partnership with eight UK universities. Working with a number of organisations such as BT, EasyJet and TUI, the BBC designed and developed this new apprenticeship. The scheme will give apprentices the required skills for postgraduate level careers in data science, data research or to become leaders in data – used by organisations to either attract new talent into the organisation or upskill existing employees.