A PIONEERING initiative set up to ensure Sunderland businesses and residents are best placed to benefit from the AI revolution has secured major backing.
The Sunderland AI Buddy Recruitment Pilot has secured funding from Innovate UK’s Tech Local Programme, a £7.6million initiative supporting local projects that enable tech talent to secure entry level jobs by bridging the gap between training and employment.
Led by Dr Selvakumar Ramachandran a permanent academic at University of Oxford and tutor of AI, software engineering and social innovation courses, the consortium is made up of University of Oxford alumni Ritchie Wilson of Bydaybreak Solutions, Andrea Bell of Sunderland Soup Kitchen and Clare Teunissen from the University of Sunderland.
By providing support and guidance to local talent in a relaxed, friendly environment, the project will pair local, digital-savvy jobseekers with small business owners to help them gain real world job experience, while enabling businesses to better understand the benefits of AI and how they can implement AI-related technologies in their organisations.
Ritchie Wilson said: “The North East is set to become one of the largest data hubs in Europe thanks to the national AI Growth Zone, however many small businesses and local workers still feel left behind by this rapid pace of change.
“The Sunderland AI Buddy Recruitment Pilot will seek to address this head-on by adopting a relationship-based approach which connects talented job seekers with businesses looking to embrace AI, while providing the friendly, wrap-around support required to ensure both parties get the most from the experience.
“If successful, it could provide a whole new blueprint for how we address the digital skills shortage, improve productivity and unlock growth across the UK.”
Dr Selvakumar is the founder of Kerckhoffs Ltd, a Sunderland-headquartered technology consultancy specialising in sovereign AI, digital twins and universal design.
He said: “Securing Innovate UK funding for the third time in five years shows how Kerckhoffs Ltd is leading the way when it comes to helping British businesses adopt and integrate AI. The project is underpinned by developing a ‘human monitored’ AI system through securing the perfect match between candidates and companies and we are looking forward to helping businesses solve their problems easier by utilising AI.”
Innovate UK received over 3,000 applications for funding from the Tech Local Programme, with The Sunderland AI Buddy Recruitment Pilot proving one of only 41 to be successful due to its ‘commitment to inclusivity.’
Andrea Bell said: “One of the outputs we are really keen to achieve is to open up avenues for those who so often feel shut off from the life-changing career opportunities that AI offers.
“Take those who are neurodivergent. The way traditional job interviews are conducted can make some feel uncomfortable and work against them, however if you want someone who can really get to grips with data and processing, then they could be the perfect person for the job.
“Women are also far too often overlooked for tech and AI roles too, despite often boasting the essential human skills such as emotional intelligence, judgement and resilience, all of which can be key traits when it comes to leading on AI projects.
“Our mission is to break down the barriers to entry for people wishing to work in this exciting sector and provide opportunities for all.”
The Sunderland AI Buddy Recruitment Pilot will see workshops and events take place at venues across the city, from Sunderland Soup Kitchen’s Tribeca Community Hub to the North East BIC and Sunderland Software Centre.
Cllr James Jackson, Cabinet Member for Business, Housing and Regeneration at Sunderland City Council, said: “We are thrilled that the Sunderland AI Buddy Recruitment Pilot is among the successful projects to have secured funding from the Tech Local Programme.
“AI is a rapidly emerging technology which is transforming how we do business the world-over and is why projects like this, which make it more affordable for businesses to invest in AI while improving the career chances of local people, are so important.
“It will provide us with a fantastic opportunity to explore how we can upskill residents while providing the talented workers our businesses require to capitalise on the opportunities of tomorrow.”
Small business owners looking to safely implement AI and digital-savvy jobseekers eager to gain hands-on, real-world experience can get involved by registering their interest at: www.aibuddy.org.uk
