The UK's Digital and Technologies Jobs Plan: what is open now and what is promised

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published the Digital and Technologies Jobs Plan on 21 October 2026, alongside a press release and new and updated TechFirst pages on GOV.UK dated 19 October. This guide separates what is open now from what is an ambition or starts later.

The headline numbers, and what they are

• 800,000 roles. The plan says "Over the next decade, around 800,000 digital and technology roles are projected to need filling in sectors backed by the Industrial Strategy." Its annex calls this "an indicative estimate of how many people employers will need to hire between 2025 and 2035 – not a target or a forecast of net new jobs."
• 200,000 entry-level jobs. Working with industry, "our ambition is to open around 200,000" entry-level jobs, including apprenticeships, over the same decade. The plan adds: "Only entry-level jobs, including apprenticeships, count towards the 200,000. Work experience and placements are recorded separately."
• 20,000 a year. "Government and employers commit to around 20,000 entry-level jobs a year through a single Skills Deal for employers." Press release notes say this "may involve some employers establishing new positions, while others fill existing entry-level vacancies".

On AI, the plan cites recent government analysis with LinkedIn finding that entry-level hiring has fallen "broadly in line with the wider labour market", and that "The causes are not yet clear". It adds: "Some of the largest falls are in roles where AI capabilities have grown, such as software engineering, data analysis and data engineering, but this is not yet evidence that AI is the cause." On its 800,000 estimate, the plan says: "Neither scenario models the effect of AI."

Pupils, parents and schools

Open now

• The press release says "All secondary schools are now able to access government programme TechFirst". Schools contact their regional delivery partner, listed on the TechFirst for schools page.
• The TechFirst Girls Competition, delivered by IBM, is free for Year 8 pupils in England and Wales, S2 in Scotland and Year 9 in Northern Ireland. Teachers register pupils between 5 October and 10 November; the competition runs 11 to 20 November.
• The press release says the Ada Computer Science platform will replace the DfE-funded Isaac platform "From the end of the 26/27 academic year".

Promised or aimed for

• The plan says "We aim to reach one million young people with meaningful AI and technology learning through TechFirst by 2028, a year earlier than planned", including 400,000 students in the most disadvantaged schools. "The youth strand alone is backed by £24 million over three years".
• In England, Digital Systems and Data is among the first V Level subjects, "with teaching due to begin from September 2027".

Young people looking for a first job or apprenticeship

• Apprenticeships (England). The plan says "From August 2026, apprenticeship training in England for eligible under-25s is fully funded for all employers."
• The 10,000 placements. The press release says tech employers including Microsoft, Cisco and IBM are "opening up 10,000 opportunities over the next three years". The plan describes these as "work experience, placement and learning opportunities, including TechFirst scholarship placements and T Level industry placements". On our reading, these are mostly experience rather than jobs.
• TechFirst AI Apprenticeship Pathway. It is "currently being piloted in North West England, delivered by TechFirst’s Regional Delivery Partner, IN4 Group". The plan says the pilot reports Level 3 apprenticeship places with employers "including JD Sports and H J Heinz".
• Early Careers Jobs Alliance. Backed by £20 million, it is "due to publish an initial report, setting out early evidence and examples of best practice."

University students and graduates

• Undergraduate Scholarship: £4,000 a year for up to four years plus summer placements "typically around eight weeks long". You can register interest now; "When applications open in November, you will need to complete a full application." School-leavers must be aiming to start a degree in September 2027.
• Doctoral Support: a stipend top-up of up to £10,000 a year for 1,000 UK home doctoral students across two intakes. "Applications for the 2027/28 academic year will open from this autumn."
• £7.8 million for AI courses. The plan cites "£7.8 million to help universities develop new practical AI courses, and graduate traineeships", and its footnote for that figure names the "TechLocal AI Professional Degree and Traineeship Accelerator (funding competition, opened 4 February 2026)". The TechFirst Local page says that competition "is now closed. Successful projects will be announced soon."

Workers wanting AI skills, and career changers

• AI Skills Boost is existing support that the plan says "aims to reach up to 10 million workers by 2030".
• TechFirst Women's Programme is taking applications now via techfirstwomen.com. The plan says "at least 300 women across the UK will be supported into paid roles"; the press release adds "the aim of securing paid roles lasting at least six months by March 2027".

Employers

• Employers can join the TechFirst Community and sign the Digital and Tech Skills Deal now. The ask is "an ambitious commitment by 2030" to work experience, T Level placements, apprenticeships or entry-level roles, with "a short public update every year". The plan says "signing the Deal is not a condition of using any of them", meaning the existing schemes.
• Non-levy employers in England can get "a hiring payment of up to £2,000 for new apprentices aged 16 to 24 starting from 1 October 2026".

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The plan states that foundation apprenticeships, T Levels and V Levels, Technical Excellence Colleges and Skills Bootcamps as described in the plan "are English provision". TechFirst runs UK-wide, and nation-specific Skills Deal arrangements "remain subject to co-design and agreement".

Why it matters

The plan describes itself as "the start of a process, not the end." On our reading, what you can act on today is mostly schools activity, the Women's Programme, scholarship registration and existing apprenticeship funding. The 200,000 jobs figure is an ambition, and the 20,000-a-year figure depends on employers signing the Skills Deal.