This week, we were proud to join our long-standing partner Sage powered by Sage Foundation at its Newcastle HQ for a partnership event launching the North East AI Talent Acceleration Programme – a new chapter in our shared commitment to helping young people access the skills, confidence and opportunities to shape an AI-enabled future.
📆 Tuesday, 20 October 2026
📍 Sage Head Quarters, Newcastle, United Kingdom
Since 2021, our partnership has reached more than 16,000 young people globally, supported by 186 Sage volunteers contributing 1,143 hours. Now, we’re bringing that commitment closer to home, with an ambition to reach 2,000 young people aged 13–19 across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham.
Opening Keynote
Pieter Bensch, the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Sage UKIA, opened with a Keynote on the expanding North East AI opportunity and the need for investment in infrastructure needing to be matched by the investment in local people.
Fireside Chat
Elena Sinel, Founder & CEO of Teens in AI, joined Helen Devanny, Vice President of Sage Foundation, for a Fireside Chat about our partnership, its impact so far and what comes next.
Careers Panel
We also drew in perspectives of young people for a Careers Panel, moderated by Joy Blackburn, Sage’s Apprenticeship Lead. The Panel brought together alumni and graduate young people at different stages of their journeys to discuss technology careers, the role of education, industry, and why the North East offers opportunities to build a future in tech.
Through the Programme’s AI Adventures online, self-paced courses, and the AI Leaders workshop series, we want young people to do more than learn about AI. We want them to question it, explore its possibilities, understand its responsibilities and see themselves as active participants in shaping what comes next.
The North East has talent, ambition and opportunity. Connecting young people with the skills and experiences to make the most of them takes all of us working together.
Thank you to Sage, everyone who joined us, and all those helping to make this next chapter possible.
➡️ If you are an Educator in the North East of England and are interested in getting involved, we’d love to hear from you: 🔗 Express Your Interest
➡️ What we have achieved together so far and what’s coming next: 🔗 Find out more
Smart, Safe, and Sceptical 
