# TechFirst to reach a million by 2028

> “Through TechFirst we aim to reach one million young people across the UK with meaningful AI and technology learning by 2028, a year earlier than planned, weighted towards the schools furthest from opportunity.”
>
> — HM Government; Digital and Technologies Jobs Plan, 21 October 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Education](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/education)
- **Speaker:** [HM Government](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/hm-government)
- **Made on:** 21 October 2026
- **Where:** Digital and Technologies Jobs Plan
- **Deadline:** 31 December 2028
- **Cost a year:** Costs £7m to £9m a year (central £8m by Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, official)
- **Who it affects:** Young people across the UK, weighted towards schools furthest from opportunity
- **When:** By 2028
- **Paid for by:** The TechFirst youth strand, £24 million over three years
- **Quote source:** https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-and-technologies-jobs-plan/digital-and-technologies-jobs-plan (checked word for word at its source on 25 October 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 25 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-techfirst-one-million-2028

## Where it stands

TechFirst is the government's technology skills programme, backed by up to £250 million in all. The press release the same day says every secondary school can now use it and that 400,000 of the million should come from the most disadvantaged schools. The card moves when the government reports how many young people TechFirst has reached.

## Timeline

- 21 October 2026, Promised: The government aims to reach one million young people with AI and technology learning through TechFirst by 2028, a year earlier than planned
- 31 December 2028, Deadline (to come): One million young people reached by TechFirst due by 2028

## About the cost

The government's own figure: the youth strand is backed by £24 million over three years, shown as £8 million a year on average. The plan does not say which three years. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the source gives a central figure only.

Costing sources:
- [Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 21 Oct 2026: Digital and Technologies Jobs Plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-and-technologies-jobs-plan/digital-and-technologies-jobs-plan)

## Sources

- [Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 21 Oct 2026: Digital and Technologies Jobs Plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-and-technologies-jobs-plan/digital-and-technologies-jobs-plan)
- [Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade press release, 21 Oct 2026: 10,000 young people to get foot in the door of Britain's tech sector as work placements rolled out across the country](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10000-young-people-to-get-foot-in-the-door-of-britains-tech-sector-as-work-placements-rolled-out-across-the-country)

## Checks

- Checked automatically by AI Journalist, not yet verified by an editor.
- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 25 October 2026.

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