The Impact of AI on Youth’s Employment Skills

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the employment landscape for young people worldwide.

Since OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022, the technology has increasingly influenced how youth prepare for and participate in the job sector.

With over 869,000 UK youth currently classified as NEET (not in education, employment, or training), AI presents opportunities and challenges.

This figure represents a concerning trend in youth disengagement from traditional career pathways.

In countries like Kenya also, AI can be considered an opportunity for young people to gain initial employment, maintain employment, and obtain new employment if required.

Research indicates more than 50% of people aged 18-29 have used AI at least once showing how AI is having an impact on the lives of youths.

This demographic advantage positions young people to potentially benefit from productivity increases approaching 40% through effective AI utilization.

For many young job seekers, the irritating cycle of “no experience, no job” can be broken with the help of AI.

This is achieved by supporting the development of competitive applications that highlight unique skills learned via voluntary work or hobbies.

AI interpretation makes it easier for young candidates to comprehend the requirements of the job and submit application materials that are tailored to the employer’s requirements by streamlining the process of reading complex job descriptions.

By allowing candidates to investigate possible employers, practice with generated questions, and receive confidence-boosting feedback prior to the interview, artificial intelligence has greatly improved interview preparation.

Macroeconomically speaking, the quick development of these systems generates an increasing need for data scientists, machine learning engineers, and artificial intelligence specialists, creating new career opportunities in uncharted territory.

Navigating the AI Revolution

While there’s a buzz surrounding AI’s potential, there are also challenges that needs to be overcome especially in the African continent.

One of the most pressing issues is that of the skill gap in AI, even though having generated lots of job opportunities requires a specialized technical knowledge to fit the role.

This is something that many youths in countries like Kenya have not been equipped with as access to the internet poses as a major challenge, especially for the youths in rural arrears.

Since AI technologies will likely continue to be employed in the business, higher education institutions need to rethink how they integrate AI.

Policies that teach the proper use of these technologies should be implemented in schools instead of banning them completely.

Organizations like Elite Global AI demonstrate excellent implementation models by offering remote opportunities to thousands of African children, bridging the digital literacy gap, and creating rewarding career prospects.

Ultimately, a young person’s employability is based on their own skills, knowledge, disposition, and attractiveness.

Even while AI enhances these areas, it requires enough training to distinguish between suitable and inappropriate applications.

In order to address the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, governments, the commercial sector, academia, and civil society should form inclusive partnerships.

By outlining expectations on the use of AI in hiring procedures, employers can take the initiative, and also throughout the hiring process, clear communication eliminates uncertainty and promotes ethical technology integration.

Youth work options are being reshaped by AI, and those who carefully use these technologies will be better equipped to handle difficult labor markets.

Young individuals who acquire both technical literacy and distinctively human qualities will be the ones whom the future belongs to.