Lancashire is the first county in the UK to introduce an artificial intelligence (AI) super curriculum to every secondary school in the area, giving thousands of young people the skills and confidence they need for the future world of work.

There are 10 MEGA (Motivated, Educated Generation with Ambition) Hubs across the Lancashire local authorities. They provide students with access to a pioneering technology-enriched super curriculum and an AI Academy, giving them hands-on experience with cyber security, entrepreneurship, esports and machine learning.

This makes Lancashire the only county region in the country to integrate this learning into every secondary school for its 8,297 students, setting a new standard for digital education.

There are also MEGA Scholarships in Blackburn with Darwen, East Lancashire and Blackpool, where selected students receive a £1,000 bursary, mentoring, workplace visits, hackathons, industry placements, and the option to take a cyber security qualification.

Developed by professional technology training and skills provider IN4 Group, the MEGA Hub is funded by Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council and the National Cyber Force (NCF), alongside leading industry partners including IBM, KPMG UK, Northrop Grumman, CGI, QinetiQ, Energus, Roke and BT.

The MEGA Hub includes CyberFirst (which will migrate to TechFirst from April 2026), a programme backed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ.

Lauren Monks, Director of CyberFirst and MEGA Hubs at IN4 Group, said: “Lancashire is leading the way in unlocking the potential of talented young people who may be at risk of underachieving due to disadvantage, neurodiversity or lack of social capital.

“The MEGA Hub helps every young person, wherever they live and whatever their background, to secure the best career destinations by boosting academic attainment, building technology skills, and opening access to professional networks.”

Paul Vaughan, Deputy Principal at Cardinal Newman College, said: “We’re proud to be an anchor college for the Preston MEGA Hub. Being part of the MEGA Hub Days has aligned perfectly with our college’s core values of excellence, opportunity, and community. It has given Preston school pupils the chance to engage, innovate, and apply their learning in real-world contexts.

“Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue strengthening this partnership — building on the success of our Hub Days and seeing more young people inspired to explore digital and tech careers that make a real impact in the North West and beyond.”

Leader of Lancashire County Council Stephen Atkinson said: “This programme motivates young people and allows them to see the opportunity and makes them ready for the high-value jobs that will come into Lancashire.

“These young people are like seeds from which oak trees grow, and they will influence their peers, and they will see how exciting this is, how they are supported and the ambition we have never seen before.”

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• Students using a VR headset at MEGA Day
• Student with Sphero Robots at MEGA Day
• Students at the MEGA Festival