A government press release published on 21 October 2026 set out plans for 10,000 new work experience placements to help young people enter the UK's digital and tech sector. Several employers, including Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, Cognizant, AtkinsRéalis, Arm, Kainos and QinetiQ, were named as backing the drive, with the opportunities to be opened over the next three years. The release also called on more employers to join, with an aim of 20,000 entry-level jobs each year.

The announcement said all secondary schools could then access the TechFirst programme, with an ambition to reach 1 million students by 2028, a year earlier than planned, including 400,000 from the most disadvantaged schools. It stated that students would receive workshops, career talks, workplace experiences and access to the Ada Computer Science platform, replacing the Isaac platform from the end of the 2026/27 academic year.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said thousands of young people would get a chance to build skills and confidence, and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the government would not let young people be locked out of the workforce. The release said nearly 1 million young people were not in employment, education or training.