AI rise mustn’t leave Yorkshire’s young talent behind: Andy Clarke

Leeds as a leading hub for innovation and digital infrastructure.

While there has been much debate around the risks and rewards of AI adoption, a less-discussed consequence is its impact on early-career talent. According to TechUK, demand for skilled digital professionals in the region continues to outpace supply, particularly in AI-related roles.

Yet as AI adoption accelerates, entry-level opportunities risk disappearing, creating barriers for those who rely on these roles.

This isn’t just a tech sector issue. Without entry-level roles, all industries risk creating a talent bottleneck, struggling to recruit experienced professionals who were never given the chance to grow.

AI isn’t going away, and ignoring its impact on entry-level talent isn’t just a social mobility issue, but a business sustainability issue. Entry-level roles have long acted as the foundation for developing future managers and leaders.

The only sustainable path forward is one that connects young people with employers before that first rung disappears, allowing both to better understand how to use AI to their advantage.

Earlier this year, we partnered with Pinsent Masons to deliver an AI Schools Conference in Leeds. This first-of-its-kind event saw young people from three local schools take part in an AI-themed design challenge, using generative AI to develop ideas, but crucially, applying their own critical thinking before pitching their concepts to professionals.

It was a powerful example of how we can encourage responsible AI use, while also giving students a clear insight into the range of job opportunities that the sector offers.

Without interventions like this, automation of entry-level tasks risks shutting out the very people who need those roles to gain experience, build confidence, and access opportunity. In fact, recent analysis from techUK and the ISE suggests graduate hiring is forecast to fall further in 2025/26, with employers citing automation and economic caution as key factors.

And the issue isn’t just about the number of roles, it’s about who gets access to them.

The tech and digital industries remain under representative of people from less advantaged backgrounds, with just nine per cent of tech employees nationally coming from lower socio-economic households.

If entry level roles continue to disappear, that gap will only widen – limiting access to opportunity and depriving the sector of the diverse perspectives needed to drive innovation.

Using AI to simply replace entry-level roles is a false economy. The future of our tech sector depends on collaboration between educators, employers, and policymakers to create pathways that prepare young people for an AI-driven world.

If we get this right, Leeds won’t just lead in technology, but in true inclusive growth and resilience.

Andy Clarke is Head of Strategic Partnerships at Ahead Partnership