Cognizant appointed by the UK Government as a strategic industry partner to its TechFirst programme

Partnership will see Cognizant provide work placements and volunteering to support the Government's ambition to open pathways for young people into the UK's fast-growing tech sector

LONDON, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) today announced Cognizant as a strategic industry partner to the Government's TechFirst programme, aimed at helping young people from all backgrounds find careers in technology as part of the UK AI Opportunities Action Plan.

The initiative looks to provide tailored support for people at key stages in the tech ecosystem – from young people beginning to explore the world of technology, to students and researchers studying critical tech subjects, to businesses looking for new talent.

Over the next four years, DSIT and Cognizant aim to work together to drive the skills that the UK needs to break down barriers to economic growth and contribute to the Government's ambition to support over 4,000 graduates, researchers and innovators, and reach one million students in secondary schools across the UK.

As a strategic industry partner, Cognizant aims to provide 100 work placements to undergraduate and master's students, aligned to the Digital & Technology Sector Plan's six frontier industries as outlined in the Government's UK Industrial Strategy. The placements are anticipated to deliver practical, hands-on experiences of the tech sector to help build future entrepreneurs and innovators, as well as practitioners and researchers.

Building on the success of its Synapse initiative which has helped over one million individuals around the world gain cutting-edge technology skills, Cognizant also aims to support 1,000 volunteering hours to inspire and mentor the next generation of tech talent across UK schools and colleges to help them enter the domestic pipeline.

Science and Technology Secretary, DSIT, Liz Kendall said: "I am committed to creating a tech sector that is open to all – and that's why programmes like TechFirst are so important. From inspiring children in the classroom, to supporting innovators in the tech firms of tomorrow, our TechFirst programme is all about creating great tech opportunities for people across the UK. I'm delighted to welcome Cognizant on board as our industry partner and look forward to working together to help more people access careers in tech."

"As an AI Builder and longstanding technology leader that has been helping organisations across the UK to navigate technological change and large-scale transformation, we see an increasingly urgent reality: technology continues to accelerate, but the talent to harness it is lagging. That's why we're proud to support the Government's TechFirst initiative and help build the next generation of tech talent," said Rohit Gupta, UK&I Managing Director at Cognizant. "Our recent research has identified that 93% of jobs could already be disrupted by AI today, creating a transformed environment for the future workforce to enter. Structured support from the tech sector and government is crucial to developing the skills required to thrive in this new world of work."

Cognizant's participation in the TechFirst programme follows its appointment as a strategic partner to the UK government's national AI Skills Boost initiative, aimed at upskilling ten million UK workers with essential AI skills for the workplace by 2030.

About Cognizant

Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, building the bridge between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization's unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, realize tangible returns and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.

CONTACT: globalpr@cognizant.com

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