UK government invests £8.2m in advanced math program to support girls' access tech careers

Plan for Change funding aims to increase female participation in advanced math at A-level, addressing underrepresentation in AI, data science, and other technology-driven fields

The UK government has announced an £8.2 million investment to help increase the number of girls studying advanced math and progressing into artificial intelligence careers. The funding will support 7,500 girls across 400 disadvantaged secondary schools as part of the Plan for Change, a broader education strategy led by the Department for Education.

Girls currently make up one-third of A-level math students, while women account for 22 percent of the workforce in AI-related fields such as software engineering and data science. The new initiative seeks to improve gender representation in technical roles by strengthening foundational skills at the secondary level.

Curriculum-linked training to begin in September

The funding will be delivered through an updated version of the Advanced Maths Support Programme, which includes teacher training pilots and student enrichment courses. These components are designed to prepare students and educators for key mathematical concepts that underpin AI technologies. According to the government, the rollout will begin in September and initially benefit 450 students and 360 teachers.

Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, says: “Today’s brightest maths minds are tomorrow’s AI pioneers, and this government is opening the door for groups who have so far been left behind in the AI revolution. Through our Plan for Change we are breaking down barriers to opportunity, backing our young people and going further and faster for AI growth, ensuring the next generation can progress in the exciting careers of the future.”

Link to AI Action Plan and curriculum review

The initiative is part of the government’s AI Action Plan, which includes commitments to building a diverse AI talent pipeline. A new advisory group, the Digital, AI and Technology Task and Finish Group, will support this effort by providing input on potential changes to the 5–18 education system. The group is chaired by Sir Kevan Collins, a non-executive board member at the Department for Education, and includes academic experts such as Professor Rose Luckin and Dr. Sue Sentance.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle says: “AI is the defining technology of our generation, improving our public services, sparking fresh economic growth, and unlocking the jobs of the future. We can only harness that potential if we have a pipeline of talent equipped with the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow. This package of support will help us deliver our Plan for Change and do exactly that. This is the first step in our plan to give every young person in the country the opportunity to develop the tools which will put them front and center in delivering our AI-powered future.”

The program is expected to address long-standing calls from industry leaders for earlier and more targeted interventions to close gender gaps in the tech workforce. Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer at FDM Group, says: “AI is creating new possibilities for the workforce, opening up new roles in areas such as software engineering and data & analytics, so it’s great to see the government investing in foundational skills in this area. There must be a collective effort to encourage more women into the tech industry, breaking down stereotypes and providing top-rate education from an early age to lay out the pathway into the sector’s most exciting roles.”

Flavell adds: “AI has the potential to bridge the gender gap in technology, levelling the playing field as it requires new skills to harness its potential within businesses. Investment in equal training opportunities with this in mind is an important step to close the divide, building up a cohort of inspiring female AI experts that can play a pivotal role in the UK’s technology future.”