{"id":2505,"date":"2026-11-02T17:35:24","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T17:35:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/?p=2505"},"modified":"2026-11-02T17:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T17:38:21","slug":"is-it-possible-to-reverse-the-damage-caused-by-ai-to-youth-employment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/is-it-possible-to-reverse-the-damage-caused-by-ai-to-youth-employment\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Possible to Reverse the Damage Caused by AI to Youth Employment?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the International Labour Organization&#8217;s Employment and Social Trends 2026 report, global youth unemployment stands at 12.4%. An estimated 260 million young people, roughly one in five, are neither employed nor participating in education or training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another challenge is particularly evident in the Western Balkans, where many young people are considering moving abroad in search of better opportunities. The 2024 Balkan Barometer survey found that 61% of young respondents were considering working abroad, compared with 67% two years earlier. Although the percentage has decreased, it still suggests that a considerable proportion of young people envision building their professional futures outside their home countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Artificial intelligence is entering the labour market at a particularly challenging time. Technology is transforming how jobs are organised faster than many education and employment systems can adapt. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has been cautious about predicting the long-term consequences, highlighting uncertainty about the extent to which AI will affect youth employment and calling for continued monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Such uncertainty is understandable from a policymaking perspective, but it offers little reassurance to young people preparing to apply for their first jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Missing First Rung<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Entry-level jobs have always offered more than just a salary. They provide young professionals with their first meaningful exposure to an industry, helping them understand how organisations operate, collaborate with colleagues and apply the knowledge acquired through education to real-world situations. For many, these positions represent their first opportunity to gain practical experience and develop professional confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, many tasks traditionally performed by junior employees can increasingly be carried out by AI technologies, whose capabilities continue to improve. This raises concerns about what happens when the tasks that once helped young people enter the workforce are automated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Signs of this transformation are already emerging. According to a World Economic Forum and PwC report published in June 2026, more than one-third of young workers worldwide are employed in occupations exposed to AI-driven changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PwC&#8217;s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer also highlights how this transformation is reshaping employment requirements. Entry-level positions in AI-exposed sectors increasingly demand competencies that were previously associated with more senior roles. At the same time, there are indications of fewer job postings targeting recent graduates in some sectors affected by artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, graduates face a difficult contradiction: some of the tasks that traditionally allowed them to gain experience are being automated, while employers increasingly expect applicants to demonstrate skills and professional judgement that are usually developed through practical work. Young people are therefore competing not only with technology but also with more experienced professionals for opportunities that once served as the starting point of their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/resources\/uploads\/2026\/11\/d-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/resources\/uploads\/2026\/11\/d-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/resources\/uploads\/2026\/11\/d-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/resources\/uploads\/2026\/11\/d-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/resources\/uploads\/2026\/11\/d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/resources\/uploads\/2026\/11\/d-1568x1045.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/resources\/uploads\/2026\/11\/d.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Source: https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/creative-hiring-concept-with-wooden-letters-39106310\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Skills Gap That Keeps Moving<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Training is frequently presented as the solution to technological disruption. However, many existing training programmes struggle to keep pace with the changing demands of the labour market. Some educational and vocational programmes still approach digital skills primarily through traditional computer literacy, such as using office applications, managing files or learning basic programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet employers increasingly need people who can work effectively alongside automated systems, rather than simply perform tasks that technology can already complete. Knowing how to prepare a document is no longer sufficient when AI can generate one in seconds. Employees must also understand how to manage automated tools, evaluate their outputs and recognise situations in which automation is inappropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practical terms, this means knowing when to use AI, how to verify its results, what happens to information entered into commercial platforms and how to explain automated recommendations to colleagues or clients. These abilities are becoming increasingly important, but they are not always adequately addressed in existing training programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is another essential consideration: effective use of AI requires knowledge of the field in which it is applied. The advice to simply &#8220;learn how to use AI&#8221; is therefore insufficient. An accountant still needs to understand accounting, a researcher must know how to evaluate evidence, and a designer needs knowledge of design principles. AI may change how this expertise is applied, but it does not eliminate the need for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The speed of technological change makes the situation even more complicated. PwC&#8217;s research indicates that the skills required in the most AI-exposed occupations are changing more than twice as quickly as those required in the least exposed occupations. Traditional education systems cannot realistically revise national curricula every few months to reflect these developments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some solutions will therefore need to emerge outside conventional education. Short accredited courses, work-based learning, internships and youth organisations can respond more quickly to changing demands and provide opportunities to develop relevant competencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, access to these opportunities remains unequal. ILO data illustrate the scale of the challenge: in low-income countries, up to 28% of young people are not in employment, education or training. Those with reliable internet connections, suitable devices and access to qualified educators have very different opportunities from their peers who lack these resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As employers demand increasingly sophisticated digital and AI-related competencies, disadvantaged young people risk falling further behind. Without targeted support, AI could reinforce existing social and economic inequalities rather than reduce them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Already Being Done?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Governments, European institutions and international organisations have begun developing initiatives to address the challenges associated with digital transformation and youth employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Erasmus+, the European Union&#8217;s programme supporting education, training, youth and sport, identifies digital transformation as one of its key priorities. The programme promotes the development of digital competencies and encourages the responsible use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, in educational settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another relevant initiative is Digital Opportunity Traineeships, which enables students and recent graduates to gain practical experience in digital technologies through placements with employers. These opportunities are not limited to technology companies, as digital skills are increasingly relevant across almost every economic sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The European Training Foundation (ETF), an EU agency supporting education, training and employment reforms in countries outside the European Union, also plays an important role. Its work includes supporting vocational education reforms and initiatives related to the Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkans, with particular attention to digital and green transitions. The ILO likewise promotes approaches based on Youth Guarantee principles to improve young people&#8217;s access to employment and training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although these initiatives help address existing gaps, accessibility remains a major challenge. Young people with strong language skills, sufficient financial resources and support from universities or other institutions are generally better positioned to participate in international mobility and training programmes. Others may face financial, geographical, educational or social barriers that make these opportunities difficult to access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Youth organisations and non-formal education providers can help bridge this divide. By working directly with young people, including those outside formal education and employment structures, they can offer more flexible learning opportunities and adapt their programmes more quickly than larger institutions. Their contribution is particularly valuable when they reach young people who might otherwise remain excluded from emerging opportunities in the digital economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What a Just Transition Entails<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The concept of a &#8220;just transition&#8221; originates from climate policy. It refers to the principle that the transition away from carbon-intensive industries should not place a disproportionate burden on workers and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same principle can be applied to automation and artificial intelligence. If AI fundamentally changes entry-level employment, the responsibility for adapting to these changes should not fall exclusively on young workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A framework developed by the World Economic Forum and PwC identifies four areas requiring attention to protect and reinvent early-career opportunities: access to jobs, job design, talent pipelines and alignment with education. Only one of these areas focuses directly on education, demonstrating that employers and institutions have equally important responsibilities in determining what opportunities exist and how young people acquire professional experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider a company that automates many of its junior-level tasks and subsequently complains that recent graduates lack experience. By automating those tasks, the company may have eliminated precisely the opportunities through which young professionals would traditionally have developed that experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This illustrates why employers should not simply reduce the number of entry-level positions in response to technological advances. Instead, junior roles should be redesigned to allow young employees to develop professional judgement, practical knowledge and new competencies while working alongside AI systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A just transition also requires affordable, recognised and accessible training opportunities. Regions with limited digital infrastructure need investment in connectivity, equipment and qualified educators. Equally importantly, young people must have opportunities to participate in the institutions and decision-making processes that shape AI-related policies, education reforms and employment strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, success should not be measured solely by the number of young people who find employment. The quality of employment matters just as much: whether jobs provide safe working conditions, adequate benefits, fair compensation and opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without these considerations, technological progress risks producing a labour market in which young people may be employed but remain economically insecure and professionally vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Young People Need a Voice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Artificial intelligence is not the sole cause of youth unemployment, nor can addressing AI-related challenges alone resolve the problem. Many of the difficulties facing young workers existed long before generative AI became widely available, including shortages of quality jobs, high levels of informal employment and difficult transitions from education into the labour market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technology may intensify or reshape these challenges, but it cannot replace effective employment policies or the responsibility of institutions to create fair opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is urgently needed is greater involvement of young people in decisions about how AI is introduced into workplaces and education systems. Otherwise, they risk bearing the consequences of decisions made without their participation. Companies may automate traditional junior tasks, increase their recruitment requirements and then criticise graduates for lacking experience, even though the opportunities to acquire that experience have become increasingly limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of these trends are already visible. Yet young people are also among those who engage most directly with emerging technologies in education and everyday life. They understand both the possibilities and limitations of AI through practical experience, and this knowledge can provide valuable insights into how technology should be developed, regulated and used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Young people should therefore be treated not merely as individuals who must adapt to technological change, but as active participants in shaping that change. Their perspectives should be represented in consultations, institutional discussions and policy development concerning artificial intelligence, education and employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At an individual level, the response must also be practical. Young people need to understand not only how to use AI tools but also the broader economic and professional environments in which those tools operate. They should learn how to critically evaluate AI-generated information, recognise the limitations of automated systems and understand which skills remain essential in their chosen professions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Internships, international mobility programmes, volunteering and non-formal education can all provide valuable opportunities to develop these competencies. Young people should also make use of career guidance, training consultations and other forms of institutional support whenever they are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, individual effort alone cannot solve structural problems. Employers, educational institutions and policymakers must ensure that opportunities for gaining experience remain available and that the benefits of technological progress are shared more fairly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Automation is already transforming entry-level employment, even as the policies and regulations governing this transformation continue to evolve. The decisions being made today will shape the professional opportunities available to an entire generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Young people should not be expected to simply accept those decisions. They deserve a meaningful role in making them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>International Labour Organization (ILO). Employment and Social Trends 2026.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>International Labour Organization (ILO). The Caribbean Labour Market Paradox: What the 2026 ILO Report Reveals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>World Economic Forum and PwC. Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Entry-Level Work: A Framework for Safeguarding and Reinventing Early-Career Pathways.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PwC. 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>European Commission. Priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>European Commission, Digital Skills and Jobs Platform. Digital Opportunity Traineeships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>WeBalkans. Education and Training.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As artificial intelligence transforms the job market, are young people losing their chance to gain the experience they need to start their careers? Explore how AI is reshaping youth employment in Europe and what can be done to ensure fair opportunities for the next generation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,720],"tags":[757,736,758,759,614],"class_list":["post-2505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eu","category-europe","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-digital-skills","tag-future-of-work","tag-just-transition","tag-youth-unemployment","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2505"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2508,"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2505\/revisions\/2508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tymagazine.net\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}