Want to know more about TechFirst? Join this exclusive online webinar to get more detail about the programme, speak to the DSIT team managing the TechGrad strand, and explore how your business can support, and benefit from, access to talent.
Event Details
- Date
- 17 March 2026, 13:00 - 14:00
- Location
- Virtual
The UK Semiconductor Centre and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are hosting an online webinar to give the UK semiconductor industry an opportunity to learn more about the new TechFirst programme and the opportunities within the TechGrad strand.
Announced by the Prime Minister at London Tech Week 2025, TechFirst is the UK government’s flagship tech skills programme, designed to open pathways into the fast‑growing tech sector and build a sustainable domestic talent pipeline.
Building on the success of CyberFirst, the programme is expanding into additional frontier tech, including semiconductors, AI, quantum, engineering biology and advanced connectivity technologies.
The aim is to support more than 4,000 domestic graduates and PhD students, while engaging 1 million young people in digital and AI learning, and providing funding for local businesses.
TechFirst consists of four strands, each supporting people at different stages of the tech talent pipeline:
- TechYouth – for young people aged 11 to 18, offering opportunities to develop tech and AI skills and explore future careers
- TechGrad – providing scholarships, funded placements, and support for university students studying key technology subjects
- TechExpert – funding and industry engagement for doctoral researchers in AI, cyber, quantum, semiconductors and other frontier tech fields
- TechLocal – regional funding competitions that help connect skilled people to tech jobs
Through TechGrad and TechExpert, semiconductor organisations can:
- Access top-tier skilled students and researchers for summer placements
- Increase visibility of their business across the national tech ecosystem through Government-led events
- Network with leading tech organisations
- Shape the future of the programme through consultation and collaboration with government
- Bring new ideas, skills and capability into their organisation.
For the 2026/27 academic year, undergraduate support for semiconductor students will be delivered through a dedicated, sector‑focused offer, with the intention for this to run as a specific strand within TechGrad in future years.
Whether you’re looking to host a placement, sponsor events, or raise your organisation’s profile, TechFirst is designed to support you in reducing barriers to tech talent, while growing the UK's tech ecosystem.