An initiative designed to help small businesses adopt artificial intelligence and assist jobseekers into technology roles has secured government funding from Innovate UK. The Sunderland AI Buddy Recruitment Pilot was awarded capital through the £7.6 million Tech Local Programme, a national scheme intended to help early-stage digital workers secure employment following training. The project was selected as one of 41 successful proposals from more than 3,000 national applications.
Led by University of Oxford academic Dr Selvakumar Ramachandran, the consortium includes Oxford alumni Ritchie Wilson of Bydaybreak Solutions, Andrea Bell of Sunderland Soup Kitchen, and Clare Teunissen from the University of Sunderland.
The pilot pairs local, digitally literate jobseekers with small business owners. The participants work directly within companies to provide practical AI adoption support while gaining workplace experience.
Ritchie Wilson commented: “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.”
Andrea Bell added: “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.”
Cllr James Jackson, cabinet member for business, housing and regeneration at Sunderland City Council, concluded: “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.”
Lead commercial partner Kerckhoffs Ltd previously secured £141,395 in public grant funding under the same TechLocal stream to establish the technical foundation for its regional Digital Reverse Mentoring platform. That initial feasibility project designed the AI-driven matching dashboard and enterprise data processing framework, creating the core operational systems now being deployed in the Sunderland recruitment pilot.
Image source: Sunderland City Council
