In partnership with YMCA St Paul's Group

AI career launchpad pilot for NEET residents

A strategic and innovative partnership between Kaplan Professional and YMCA St Paul's Group to address a pressing local and national challenge: the significant skills gap among NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) residents and the urgent need to prepare diverse, job-ready talent for an AI-driven economy.

Overview

This partnership directly supports the YMCA’s mission to empower vulnerable local residents and promotes inclusive growth in Walthamstow by providing a pathway for diverse talent into digital careers. By targeting NEET residents and offering foundational AI skills and career coaching, the programme contributes to reducing local unemployment and boosting digital literacy.

Industry

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Pilot size

10 learners

Region

Walthamstow, London

Challenge

The YMCA have identified that AI skills are very important for people competing in the future job market. According to Good Things Foundation, 8.5 million people in the UK lack basic digital skills, and 1 in 6 adults lack basic literacy skills*. Many YMCA residents fall into these categories, and they are committed to removing barriers for them. The YMCA also see the opportunities that AI presents to those who are neurodivergent and is committed to helping them.

* Statistics taken from Good Things Foundation. Valid as of 2024.

Solution

This 12-week hybrid bootcamp combines cutting-edge AI skills training with essential human and career development, delivered through live online sessions and immersive in-person workshops at Kaplan’s Borough High Street centre.

Launched in January 2026 following intensive collaboration from November 2025, the pilot program targets Walthamstow residents aged 18+, prioritising those facing socio-economic barriers to employment (all participants in this cohort were over 25).

Key features

Communication and automation
Writing professional emails and generating CSV files for data management.
Complex information processing
Using AI to summarise and simplify complex information for speeches and debates.
Professional projects
Editing manuscripts, creating educational materials for students, and organising investment goals.
Daily habits
Moving from "learning" to "daily/weekly application" in personal and professional development.

I found the AI course very useful. We had a really good teacher Andrew, who was engaging and patient. One of the things that I took away from the course is the ability to think more effectively about the prompts that I write in order to get the best results from generative AI models. I have also learned ways that can help me to learn more effectively and to be able to break down complex information. As someone with dyslexia this was a barrier for me, but I am more empowered.

Impact and benefits

After working closely with YMCA on the suitability, design and requirements of the programme, YMCA successfully recruited 13 interested candidates for 10 available places, demonstrating strong local engagement. Kaplan funded laptops for participants and covered reasonable travel and lunch costs for in-person workshops to mitigate economic barriers, whilst YMCA also facilitated participant support by coordinating resources and assisting with attendance and engagement follow-up.

Key results

Measurable growth in core skills
The highest growth area was Data Analysis (+2.25), indicating that the bootcamp successfully bridged the gap for learners who previously had little to no experience using AI for data-driven tasks, bringing them to a professional competency level.
AI Co-Pilot confidence
100% of the sample group now "Strongly Agree" that they are confident using AI as a co-pilot in their work.
Job market readiness
Learners moved from a position of uncertainty/disagreement regarding their ability to secure a role in the digital economy to a solid "Agree" stance.

The AI Career Launchpad pilot demonstrates that when educational innovation is combined with trusted community delivery and practical support, individuals facing barriers to employment can successfully develop AI skills, build confidence, and apply their learning in real-world contexts.

The partnership between Kaplan Professional and YMCA St Paul’s Group provides a strong, evidence-based model for future programmes designed to support inclusive access to the digital economy and drive local economic resilience.

Endorsed at the highest level

The team has been so supportive throughout and it was excellent to be able to offer this professional course to our clients in a way that was accessible, enjoyable, and relevant in today's rapidly changing technological world. Thank you to the whole team. Both staff and residents could benefit from this course, and we would be interested in further opportunities available.