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Teens in AI and Sage expand partnership to boost AI skills in the North East

New programme will help thousands of young people aged 13-19 build AI skills and prepare for future career

London, UK, 9 July 2026 — Teens in AI, the global social impact organisation inspiring the next generation of responsible AI innovators, has expanded its partnership with Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses, to launch the North East AI Talent Acceleration Programme – a structured AI literacy and talent initiative for young people aged 13–19 across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham.

The programme launches as new research from Teens in AI highlights a growing AI readiness gap among young people. While almost seven in ten (70%) young people surveyed say they use AI every day, nearly half (48%) say their school is not preparing them for a future shaped by AI, despite 94% believing they could see themselves in a future career that uses AI.

Through the programme, students will gain full access to the AI Adventures learning platform and its wider suite of courses, while participating schools receive AI literacy training and career awareness support for teachers and students alike. By connecting education and industry, the programme aims to strengthen the talent pipeline for the North East's growing AI economy, helping more young people access the opportunities being created across the region.

Helen Devanny, Vice President of Sage Foundation, said: "This programme helps turn ambition into opportunity by connecting young people with real-world AI experience, industry expertise, and structured learning opportunities. Our focus at Sage is on ensuring that access to AI education and skills development is widened at pace, so more young people are equipped to progress into the opportunities being created across the region."

Supporting the North East's AI ambitions

The expanded partnership comes at a pivotal moment for the region. The government recently named Sage as a leading digital technology business in the North East AI Growth Zone, recognised for widening access to technology careers and supporting women in the region to develop AI leadership skills. This new programme contributes to a broader regional ambition to ensure 80,000 students benefit from AI training by 2029, alongside major investment in AI infrastructure and supporting AI adoption across the North East region.

Building on the partnership's momentum, Sage Foundation is also supporting the development of a new series of AI Adventures courses tailored for 13- to 19-year-olds, including an AI Agent course developed in collaboration with Sage and launched in April 2026.

The partnership between Sage and Teens in AI has already delivered significant impact since it began in 2021:

  • More than 16,000 young people reached
  • 186 expert Sage volunteers engaged
  • 1,143 volunteer hours contributed as mentors, speakers, judges, and course contributors
  • 59% of participants were girls or from under-represented groups
  • 79% of participants from diverse ethnic backgrounds

Elena Sinel, Founder and CEO of Teens in AI, said: "Young people should not have to wait until higher education or employment to access AI learning. Through our long-standing partnership with Sage, we are helping bridge education and industry so that young people can build the skills, confidence and awareness they need earlier in life. This expanded partnership strengthens our shared commitment to making AI education more accessible and connected to real opportunities across the North East."

To find out more about the North East AI Talent Acceleration Programme and the partnership between Sage and Teens in AI, visit: https://www.teensinai.com/sage/

About Teens in AI

Teens in AI is a multi-award-winning global initiative launched in 2018 at the United Nations AI for Good Global Summit. Active in more than 100 countries, it equips young people aged 13 to 18 with the skills, confidence and understanding to design responsible AI solutions to societal challenges. It delivers hands-on learning through global hackathons, live programmes and its AI Adventures self-paced online courses, and provides training for teachers on the safe and ethical use of AI. Committed to a more diverse and equitable tech ecosystem, Teens in AI prepares the next generation for an AI-driven future.

About Sage

Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of small and mid-sized businesses served by Sage, its partners and accountants. Customers trust its finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitalising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, Sage’s AI-powered platform connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means using its time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.

About Sage Foundation

Sage Foundation has been knocking down barriers in our communities since 2015. By mobilising our colleagues, partners, and customers through impactful programmes, Sage Foundation is helping underrepresented entrepreneurs to grow their businesses while equipping the entrepreneurs of tomorrow with the skills they need to succeed.

Notes to editors

Teens in AI and Sage have expanded their partnership to jointly deliver the North East AI Talent Acceleration Programme, a structured AI literacy and talent initiative for young people aged 13–19 across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham. The programme gives young people practical AI skills, industry insight and clear career pathways, building on a collaboration that has run since 2021.

It is a joint initiative from Teens in AI and Sage that equips young people aged 13–19 with practical AI skills and career awareness. Participating students gain full access to the AI Adventures learning platform and its wider suite of courses, while participating schools receive AI literacy training and career support for both teachers and students. As part of the partnership, Teens in AI launched a new AI Agent course developed with Sage in April 2026, and Sage Foundation is supporting the development of a series of AI Adventures courses tailored for 13- to 19-year-olds.

The programme is open to young people aged 13–19 across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham, delivered through participating schools in the region.

Since 2021, the partnership has reached more than 16,000 young people. It has engaged 186 expert Sage volunteers, who have contributed 1,143 hours as mentors, speakers, judges and course contributors. Of those who have taken part, 59% have been girls or from under-represented groups and 79% from diverse ethnic backgrounds. 

Sage has been named a key partner in the North East AI Growth Zone skills agenda, recognised by the government for widening access to technology careers and supporting women in the region to develop AI leadership skills. The programme contributes to a wider regional ambition to ensure 80,000 students benefit from AI training by 2029, alongside major investment in AI infrastructure and job creation across the North East.

Teens in AI and Sage believe young people should be able to access AI learning before higher education or employment, bridging education and industry so students build skills, confidence and awareness earlier in life. For Sage, it reflects a focus on widening access to AI education and skills at pace. The partnership also features in Teens in AI's white paper, The AI Readiness Gap Starts Early, as an example of how sustained collaboration between education and industry can strengthen AI literacy and broaden access to future skills.