The government has launched AI and data science conversion courses with up to £24 million of funding from government, universities and industry partners.
2,500 places will be available, with 1,000 scholarships offered to students from underrepresented background
Funding has been awarded to 18 universities who are working with partner providers to deliver courses in 28 universities and colleges across England.
Graduates will have the opportunity to apply for a place on new AI and data science masters courses starting in autumn 2020.
The move will enable 2,500 people to develop new digital skills or retrain to help find new employment in the UK’s AI and data science sectors.
Applicants could include people returning to work after a career break and looking to retrain in a new profession, under-represented groups in the AI and digital workforce. 1000 scholarships will specifically target the female, black and disabled demographics.
Statistics from a Tech Nation and Royal Society report reveal women make up only 19% of the tech workforce and people from a BAME background represent just 4% of the UK tech industry.
Successful students will have flexible access to study and course content so they can fit their studies around their daily lives. Students will undertake paid work placements to help maximise their employment opportunities at the end of their course which could see them land roles as machine learning engineers, data scientists, research scientists or AI architects.
The announcement is part of the government’s commitment to increase research and development investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.
Universities offering AI and data science conversion courses are:
University of Keele
Solent University
University of Newcastle
Birmingham City University
University of Wolverhampton
Loughborough University
University of Bradford,
Teesside University
University of Birmingham
Nottingham Trent University
University of Suffolk
University of Liverpool
Brunel University London
University of Sussex
University of Essex
University of Hull
Sheffield Hallam University
Institute of Coding consortium led by Coventry University
Aston University
University of Bath
Birkbeck, University of London
University of Exeter
University of Gloucestershire
Lancaster University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Queen Mary University of London
University of Sunderland
University of the West of England.
Source: electronicweekly
