IntoTech Launch
- News story
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
On Tuesday 30th June at Vintner’s Hall, Futures For All held a launch for our IntoTech programme. Educators, work experience partners and programme collaborators were all present to celebrate this landmark initiative, which opens doors to the tech industry. After the success of our pilot, we’re looking forward to seeing how the next 4 years helps more young people discover and access careers in technology, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.
Guests were treated to an exclusive panel discussion on how AI might impact the future workforce.
AI’s Impact on the Future of Work
Anjana Ahuja, a science journalist, best selling author and Finanical Times columnist was our host for the evening’s panel discussion. Anjana is also a passionate supporter of our work having delivered almost 20 talks at state schools through our Speakers for Schools programme. She was joined by another of our speakers, Sonal Shah, a VP in financial services and an advocate for more diversity in the tech sector. We were also joined by Matthew Brockman, Chief Investment Officer from Hg Capital and Trustee of the Hg Foundation the programme’s principle funder and Marc Warner, CEO of Faculty AI a leading British company in AI strategy and integration.
The panel covered a wide range of topics from how AI could impact entry level roles, to who is responsible for making AI a tool that is accessible for all and used within safe parameters, to how educators should engage their students with AI. The first question of the night was directed at everyone in the room.
"Who is nervous about AI?"
All hands – including the panellists – shot up.
One thing from the panel was clear, AI is not a trend and is already having a big impact on the way we work. However, the human side of AI – how we use our original ideas to prompt AI – remains key to keep output genuine and ensure that it enhances our own productivity.
Access for All
The topic of equal access was a key theme from the night. As Futures For All works to make access to meaningful opportunities and routes into work exist for everyone, we were keen to hear from the panellists about how the tech sector is supporting access into the industry.
Sonal Shah is one of the speakers connected to our IntoTech programme. With over 20 years of experience working within the sector, Sonal has seen a lot of change to the workforce and recognised some of the key issues with diversity in tech.
"You can’t be what you can’t see"
The statistics are stark – the UK technology sector employs over 2.2 million people, yet it has a highly unequal workforce: just 9% of workers come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and only 22% of tech specialists are women. Some of the panel argued that AI could play a key role in bringing about real change, with Marc Warner pointing to free access to AI tools as a great opportunity for young people to enhance their usage of tech. However, with some big questions on AI safety measures for young people and how educators should incorporate AI into the curriculum, this still remains a contentious issue.
Delivering Impact in Partnership
The IntoTech programme is the charity’s biggest project concentrating on one sector. We were delighted to have a big presence from the Hg Foundation and their funding partners, Hg Capital, on the night. Along with a strong financial commitment, their team has worked closely with Futures For All to help shape this programme and we look forward to developing this relationship over the coming years.
You can find out more information on the IntoTech programme here.
