The government has published new guidance on TechFirst for schools, part of TechFirst, its flagship tech skills programme. The target is ambitious: 1 million young people building tech skills, getting confident with AI and exploring careers in the sector.

The offer is aimed at secondary schools and colleges. It also sets out a clear goal of reaching young people from groups underrepresented in tech.

What schools and colleges can access

  • Technology and computing enrichment activities
  • Careers inspiration and employer engagement
  • Opportunities to explore emerging technologies, including AI
  • National competitions and challenges
  • Online learning resources
  • TechFirst Schools Recognition, with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards for schools leading the way

Where AI fits in

AI runs through several parts of the programme.

The new TechFirst Girls Competition, delivered by IBM, replaces the CyberFirst Girls Competition that ran from 2016 to 2025. Alongside cyber security, this year's challenges cover AI, semiconductors and quantum computing. It's free, open to girls in Year 8 in England and Wales (S2 in Scotland, Year 9 in Northern Ireland), and no coding experience is needed.

For teaching resources, TechFirst has partnered with the Raspberry Pi Foundation on Ada Computer Science. It's a free platform for teachers and students aged 11 to 19, built with the University of Cambridge, with curriculum-aligned materials, coding projects and termly challenges. Resources for 11 to 14 year olds are in development.

Dates for the diary

  • TechFirst Girls Competition: teachers register by 10 November 2026, and the competition runs from 11 to 20 November 2026
  • UK Bebras Challenge (ages 6 to 19): runs 9 to 20 November 2026, with registration open now

Both are free.

How to get involved

TechFirst is delivered through regional partners who work with schools, colleges, employers and local authorities. Contact details for each region are listed on the guidance page. Wales and Northern Ireland have partners in place, and Scotland's is listed as coming soon.

If you're in a secondary school or college, the quickest win is registering for the Girls Competition before 10 November.

Read the full guidance on GOV.UK: TechFirst for schools.