AI’s biggest threat is to those trying to get their careers started

We need to be honest about AI. It is not a distant threat or a future disruption. It is already reshaping the way work is organised, who gets hired, and what skills are valued.

But much of the national conversation is focused in the wrong place.

The assumption is that AI will mainly threaten established workers. That people in mid or later career will be hardest hit as automation reshapes roles around them. There is some truth in that. But it misses a far more profound risk.

The greatest disruption will be felt by those trying to enter the workforce in the first place.

For decades, careers have been built from the ground up. Entry level roles, junior tasks, and early responsibilities have provided the bridge between education and employment. They are where people learn how organisations work, build relationships, and develop confidence.

These are precisely the roles that AI is now beginning to replace.

If the first rung of the ladder disappears, the whole structure of career progression is put at risk. It becomes harder for young people to gain experience, harder to demonstrate capability, and harder to build the networks that sustain a career over time.

By contrast, those already established in work often retain something AI cannot easily replicate. They have trust, relationships, context, and credibility. These things matter more, not less, in an AI driven economy.

This creates a very real danger. Not simply of job displacement, but of exclusion. A generation of capable young people who find themselves locked out, not because they lack potential, but because the route in has narrowed.

This is where education must lead.

FE colleges sit at the centre of this challenge. Not just as providers of qualifications, but as active partners in shaping opportunity. We must work far more closely with employers to design pathways that do not rely on outdated assumptions about entry level roles.

That means building new kinds of experience. Real projects, employer-led learning, and practical environments where students can demonstrate value before they are hired. It also means focusing on the skills that matter most in an AI enabled workplace. Communication, problem solving, adaptability, and the ability to work alongside technology.

At the same time, schools need to shift much earlier in the journey. If we continue to define success through exams alone, we risk preparing young people for a model of work that no longer exists. Learning must feel relevant, applied, and connected to the real world.

This is not about abandoning standards. It is about ensuring that what we value reflects what the future demands.

There is also a role for government. Investment in further education is essential, but it must be targeted towards building genuine pathways into employment. That means supporting partnerships between colleges and employers, and recognising the critical role FE plays in economic development.

AI will undoubtedly reshape the workplace. But the most important question is not how we protect what exists today. It is how we ensure that the next generation still has a way in.

If we get that right, we will not simply respond to change. We will shape a more inclusive and resilient economy.