As employers grapple with how AI is changing the job market – in some cases leaving certain jobs obsolete – today’s university graduates are finding it harder than ever to break into their chosen career path, panellists at The PIE Live Ireland argued.
The use of AI in some professions means that students are now “ineligible” for certain jobs, either because they don’t exist anymore or because they now have to come in “at a higher level than perhaps they would have [before]”, said Andy Harrison, business development and education partnership lead (UK and Ireland) at LanguageCert – an offshoot of the development and qualification provider PeopleCert.
“They’re expected to come in with business acumen, leadership skills, these things that say a student would have gained through the experience of doing that entry-level job,” he pointed out.
“To frame it a different way, and I think this is pretty stark: a 22-year-old graduate is now expected to have the capabilities of a 35-year-old. So there’s this huge disconnect.”
They’re expected to come in with business acumen, leadership skills, these things that say a student would have gained through the experience of doing that entry-level job
Andy Harrison, LanguageCert
Speaking on employability, the panellists said the adoption of new technologies in the workplace is leading to a skills gap where emotional intelligence has becomes more important than ever.
Gareth Fennell, head of EMEA – corporate skills at the experience management platform Qualtrics, revealed that the three core competencies the company looks for in graduates include intelligence, coachability, and resilience.
“It’s artificial intelligence, not artificial empathy,” Fennel stressed, as the human element is becoming more valuable at a time when so much work is automated. In terms of skills, they value expertise in using AI as desirable, but personal skills are essential, he said.
Meanwhile, LinkedIn’s head of public sector and not-for-profit sales, Seamus Clancy, pointed out that market needs are moving quickly – leaving students and universities struggling to keep up.
“What’s best in class today will be different tomorrow,” he said encouraging businesses to use real-time data so they don’t fall behind the curve.
He revealed that LinkedIn has invested in a “skills taxonomy” – a dynamic, standardised inventory of over 39,000 to 42,000 skills, 374,000 aliases, and 200,000 semantic relationships that all feed into a skills graph. Clancy said this helps businesses with hiring, internal mobility, and learning.
WIth panellists all agreeing that there is a skills gap for new graduates, panellists spoke about the different ways that employers, universities and students could stay ahead of the curve.
“I’m, of course, flying the flag for qualifications,” said Harrison – although he acknowledged that “there are multiple qualifications that employers are looking for”.
He suggested that there should be an intersection between universities, employers and certification bodies working together, with students in the middle, so that information on skills can be cascaded down.
Ireland’s universities are known for their strong ties to industry – particularly in technology and life sciences – with this being a major draw for international students.
The country is home to the European headquarters of tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Meta, as well as pharmaceutical heavyweights including Pfizer, Eli Lilly and AbbVie.
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