The AI Shift Reshaping the Workforce
AI and automation are disrupting graduate hiring, with entry-level jobs down 50% since 2019. Here’s how companies are responding.
The New Path Forward
Gaining and refining skills any way you can get them is the new path forward, say tech insiders.
Societies all over the world, Australia included, are reevaluating how the next generation of workers can be trained and progress in their careers. Image: Getty
The White-Collar Gig Economy
"AI is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers," said Ford CEO Jim Farley at the Aspen Ideas Festival. This sentiment is echoed by tech leaders worldwide, including Dario Amodei of Anthropic, who predicts AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs, spiking unemployment to 10-20% in the next one to five years.
The Collapse of Early-Career Opportunities
"Entry-level jobs are under threat," says Chris Smith of ReadyTech. "AI is set to reshape the talent landscape. The more urgent challenge is the collapse of early-career opportunities that enable workers to gain experience and learn on the job."
Alternative Pathways
Companies like ReadyTech are adopting a 'skills first' approach, prioritizing upward career mobility and recruiting for potential, not pedigree. "Once inside, we focus on developing mastery, defining clear technical pathways, and repeating the cycle," says Smith.
The Tech Council's Perspective
"Alternative pathways, such as vocational training, vendor courses, and earn-while-you-learn models, play a vital role in building our tech workforce pipeline," says Damian Kassabgi, CEO of the Tech Council of Australia.
The Entry-Level Jobcopalypse
With AI tools taking over routine tasks, companies are prioritizing high-leverage technical roles, making it tough for Gen Z and early-career talent to break in. SignalFire's 2025 State of Tech Talent report found graduate hiring has declined 50% since 2019.
Breaking the Bottom Rung
"AI doesn’t have to mean the death of the first job," says Smith. "But it does force us to rethink how we create, protect and evolve entry-level roles."
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