Leeds tech leader backs apprenticeship drive as UK confronts AI talent shortfall

Technology expert Sam Hameed from Leeds-based Solution Performance Group has welcomed the government’s new apprenticeships, saying the move will help to ease the chronic shortage of AI talent across Yorkshire and the wider UK.

The government has committed to expanding youth apprenticeships to 50,000 places over the next three years in an attempt to cut youth unemployment and rebuild technical capability.

During a visit to McLaren in Woking, Sir Keir Starmer said he was on a mission to boost practical training routes. Reflecting on his own father’s experience as an apprentice who studied at night to become a toolmaking engineer, he argued that apprenticeships demand as much skill and commitment as a university. He said both paths should be valued equally.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has allocated £725m over the next three years to support the expansion. Short courses will follow next spring, along with a £140 million pilot allowing mayors to link young people with local employers. The direction of that funding is still to be confirmed. The number of apprenticeship starters has dropped by almost 40 per cent in the past decade, with close to a million 16 to 24-year-olds now outside work or education.

The expansion will remove the 5 per cent levy on apprentices under 25 and introduce new programmes in AI, engineering and hospitality. A further £820m will fund 55,000 six-month placements for young people who have been on benefits for 18 months or more.

A SPG Resourcing study shows that AI and data sector salaries in Yorkshire have steadied after sharp rises due to talent shortages. Business architects saw the most significant jump at 7.5 per cent, with architects up 2.75 per cent. Senior business analysts rose slightly, while solution architect salaries held steady.

Sam Hameed, group managing director of Solution Performance Group, said: “Yorkshire continues to deliver high-calibre digital projects and that demand for core skills will persist as the sector matures. Companies and the public sector must have access to the next generation of talent if the economy is to benefit from AI technologies.”

The global data and analytics market is estimated at 390 billion dollars, according to IDC. Yorkshire remains well placed to benefit as demand grows for insight, operational efficiency and stronger customer service.

SPG Resourcing, part of the Solution Performance Group, provides interim and permanent technology talent across sectors from insurance and financial services to health, housing and FTSE-listed firms.