The stats are sobering. According to The Guardian yesterday entry-level roles — including grad schemes, internships and junior jobs — have plummeted by 32% since ChatGPT launched in Nov 2022. I'm witnessing this first hand with recent graduates. They're struggling to find entry level roles. Some are opting to travel and hope it gets better

But this is precisely the moment they need to make friends with AI, not check out. And this isn’t just a Gen Z problem. It’s a wake-up call for all of us — candidates, employers, policymakers. These are my three key take aways:

1. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 – 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐈-𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐯𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭

If you're a graduate or entry-level candidate, AI literacy isn't a nice-to-have – it's your competitive edge. You need to educate yourself about AI's radical impact on your industry and job role. Where it's replacing human work, where it's augmenting it, and crucially, where it's creating entirely new work

𝘞𝘩𝘺?
- First, it'll give you that crucial bit extra over other candidates in a crowded field
- Second, the financial incentive is stark – PwC's research shows grads with AI skills are commanding a 56% wage premium
- Third, it'll help you make informed decisions about which specific industries and roles to run towards, and which to avoid.

2. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 – 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦

Responsible employers need to consider the long-term implications of decimating entry-level careers. Yes, AI can handle many tasks traditionally done by junior staff, but we live in a world where we need ‘humans in the loop’ to prompt, check, critique, and govern AI systems. It's dangerous to focus solely on those who already have expertise and mastery in the organisation. Who will your future human-AI partner experts be? Today's grads aren't just tomorrow's workforce – they're tomorrow's AI critics, shapers and leaders.

3. 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 – 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨

I agree with Peter Kyle, technology secretary, who says workers and businesses should "act now" on getting to grips with AI, or risk being left behind”. This is the time to run 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 AI-powered change, not away from it. The companies and individuals who are getting ahead now – understanding AI's implications, building capability, and creating human-AI partnerships – will be the ones thriving in future. And I think the government needs to focus on the UK’s AI preparedness, not just the public sector, but across the private sector: enterprise, SMEs & start-ups

Ready to get AI-ready? My ‘𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧-𝐢𝐧-𝐭𝐡𝐞-𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐩’ 𝐀𝐈 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬 help HR, leaders, and employees build the confidence, capability and conscience to partner with AI effectively. The future belongs to those who prepare for it today

I'd love to chat: amira@people-stuff.co.uk