University News Last updated 08 February 2024
Black, female and disabled students could receive 拢10,000 in scholarship money from 探花直播 (BCU) as part of a project that seeks to address a growing digital skills crisis in the UK.
Financial support is also available to applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds enrolled on BCU鈥檚 MSc in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and FinTech - or financial technology - pathway.
The new commitment has been made possible by a 拢320,000 grant from the Office for Students (OfS) after a听 showed that the UK is failing to meet industry demand for AI skills.
鈥淎I is fast becoming a baseline technology, transforming modern life in a cross-sectoral fashion,鈥� said Professor Atif Azad, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at BCU.
鈥淒emocratising the uptake of such a fundamental technology is critical for a culturally diverse and rich Britain to ensure robust and responsible future developments.鈥�
BCU has already distributed 拢760,000 in AI degree funding after receiving Government praise for its work to encourage students from underrepresented groups to take up opportunities in the sector.
The university has now secured further financial support after the OfS invited higher education providers to create innovative postgraduate conversion courses that upskill non-STEM students in AI and incentivise uptake from underrepresented demographics.
By 2025, there are expected to be three million new tech jobs in the UK - and 60% of employers expect their reliance on advanced digital skills to grow in the next five years.
but that 69% off leaders feel their organisation suffers from a digital skills gap.
That means the UK needs to build a workforce that is equipped to fill these roles, especially in the world of FinTech, which is growing increasingly important to the UK economy.
BCU is partnering with Covatic, a 探花直播-based high technology startup, to deliver Project ELAN (Elevating Artificial Intelligence into Non-STEM).
Nick Pinks, Managing Director at Covatic, said: "Building a diverse and community-based talent base armed with cutting-edge expertise in Data Science and AI is a critical part of our growth plan.
鈥淎s a company rooted in 探花直播, we see a massive opportunity to connect and provide opportunities for people from under-represented groups through this programme.鈥�
Dr Umar Daraz, Director of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at BCU, said: 鈥淭he additional OfS funding is a testament to how we link BCU expertise with industry in an open and inclusive way.
鈥淥ur five-year growth plan centres on driving regional and national recruitment initiatives to build a more diverse tech industry.
鈥淲e bring together startups, corporate, civic society and academics to create real-world impact.鈥�