Helping NEET young people move from digital exclusion to AI-ready employability
StepUp is a co-produced AI employability programme helping NEET young people build confidence, digital skills and real routes into work. One step at a time.
1M+
NEET young people aged 16–24 in the UK
12%
decline in entry-level roles since generative AI
3.9M
AI-skill jobs projected in the UK by 2035
NEET young people are being pushed further behind by the AI economy
They need AI skills to access work, and they need work to build AI skills. This is the trap.
Young people aged 16–24 NEET in the UK — ONS, 2026
Aged 18–24, up 74,000 on the year
Say unemployment made them lose confidence in their own skills — King's Trust, 2025
The "Scarring" Effect
Long isolation destroys social confidence, eroding networks, soft skills and first-step opportunities.
DWP, 2026 · Institute for Employment Studies, 2024Digital Exclusion
1.6M people have no internet. 1.7M households lack a device. Nearly 2M cancelled mobile contracts due to financial pressure.
DSIT, 2026 · Good Things Foundation, 2026Mental Health Barriers
Anxiety, depression and neurodevelopmental conditions keep young people out of work. 13.6% of NEETs are explicitly autistic.
The Health Foundation, 2026Automated Recruitment
59% of employers predict AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar roles in five years. Applicants now face ATS filters and algorithmic screening.
King's College London, 2026AI Awareness ≠ Capability
Most NEET young people know generative AI exists but few know how to use it effectively. 45% don't know what employers look for.
Movement to Work, 2026 · King's Trust, 2025Rising AI Job Demand
AI-skill jobs projected to rise from 158,000 to 3.9M by 2035. 56% of employers rate their workforce AI knowledge as beginner or novice.
DSIT, 2026A co-produced AI employability programme built for those left furthest behind
StepUp tackles two barriers at once: access to digital tools, and the confidence to use them for work.
Referral
Referred through DWP Job Centres, youth services and local partners.
Access
Digital inclusion support — devices, data, travel and food support to remove barriers.
Learn
12-week AI employability bootcamp building confidence, trust and practical skills.
Support
Peer and university mentors help participants stay motivated and build confidence.
Progress
Next step: paid internship, further study, or startup hub support.
12-Week AI & Employability Programme
Starting with access and confidence, building towards real job-search outputs and next-step progression.
Build the Foundation
- Digital hub introduction
- Online safety and privacy
- Career pathways and goal setting
- Team trust and goal setting
- Professional communication
- Overcoming self-doubt
Use AI for Job Search
- Prompt basics
- AI-supported job searching
- Reading job descriptions
- Professional writing
- Assertiveness and workplace etiquette
- Teamwork
Build Application Confidence
- AI CV writing
- Application support
- Interview preparation with AI
- Emotional intelligence
- Feedback practice
- Interview confidence
Before/after scores prove participants can use AI for CVs, applications and job search.
Participants learn to check, edit and question AI outputs — not just copy them.
Learning transfers into internships, employment and further study beyond the bootcamp.
Reduced reliance on mentors as participants become self-directed and work-ready.
Aligned with national policy priorities
The UK Government is actively funding solutions to the exact problems StepUp solves.
Youth Guarantee
- Every 16–24 year old access to learning, work or apprenticeship
- £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant per long-term unemployed hire
- Trailblazer pilots across England, Scotland & Wales
Growth & Skills Levy
- Full funding of apprenticeships for under-25s at SMEs
- £2,000 SME apprenticeship incentives
- New Foundation Apprenticeships in hospitality & retail
AI & Digital Short Courses
- TechLocal grant up to £225k for AI skills coaching
- New modular AI strategy training from April 2026
- Adult Skills Fund £1.4bn/yr for digital skills
Youth Hubs
- Localised hubs rolling out nationally
- Face-to-face and digital employment support
- StepUp positioned as the digital coaching layer
Who makes StepUp Programme work?
A multi-partner ecosystem built around the needs of NEET young people.
The Government
Capital funding, education budgets and training allowances.
DWP / Job Centres
Identifies and refers eligible NEET youth through established pipelines.
Universities & Youth Centres
Digital Inclusion Hubs providing classrooms, Wi-Fi and AI training workshops.
Good Things Foundation
Free refurbished laptops and connectivity vouchers for participants.
Employers & SMEs
Subsidised paid internships for trained AI-ready candidates.
University Mentors
Master's students providing peer support, technical help and confidence building.
Built by people who believe every young person deserves a fair start
StepUp was born from a simple truth: the AI revolution is happening with or without NEET young people. We exist to make sure it happens with them.
NEET describes young people aged 16–24 who are not currently studying, working, or in any formal training. Over 1 million young people in the UK fall into this category — not through lack of ambition, but through lack of access, support, and opportunity. StepUp exists to change that.
Our Mission
To eliminate the intimidation factor of modern technology and make AI accessible, understandable and practically useful for every young person in the UK — regardless of their starting point, background or circumstance.
Inclusive by Design
We co-produce everything with the young people we serve. Their voices shape every module, every tool, every decision.
Learning by Doing
No lectures. No courses before you start. You bring a real task, do it with AI coaching, and gain a transferable skill in the process.
Safe & Trusted
GDPR-compliant, safeguarding-first, mental-health aware. We look after the whole person — not just the skill set.
NEET young people aged 16–24 in the UK
Weeks to AI-ready employment confidence
Youth Hubs rolling out across the UK
Partner organisations in every cohort
Where we came from
The Idea
MA Artificial Intelligence students at Loughborough University identified a critical gap — the same AI tools transforming industry were leaving NEET young people even further behind. StepUp Programme was born.
Co-Design Begins
Working alongside NEET young people, DWP, Good Things Foundation, and Loughborough University to co-produce a programme that genuinely fits real lives — not just theory.
Pilot Cohort
The first cohort completes the 12-week AI employability bootcamp. 80% progress to paid internships, further study, or employment within three months.
National Rollout
Expanding through 360+ Youth Hubs with government backing under the Youth Guarantee. Every cohort brings us closer to closing the AI skills gap for good.
The problem with most AI training
1.7M households in the UK do not.
73% of NEET young people face anxiety around recruitment.
Devices. Data. Confidence. Support. Then AI skills.
Ready to help young people step up?
Whether you are a government partner, employer, university, digital hub or mentor — there is a role for you in StepUp Programme. Reach out and let us build something meaningful together.
Send us a message
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