Nearly half of UK teens fear AI will take their jobs

Nearly half of teenagers (46%) fear AI could reduce their job opportunities, a Department for Education poll has found. The department surveyed 500 young people who are due to choose, or recently chose, their subject options at 14 and 16.

More than half (52%) said they worry about having the right skills for the jobs of the future. Their biggest concern about the future was ending up in a job they do not enjoy, cited by 69% of respondents.

“It’s quite worrying knowing that the jobs we’ll be doing in the future might look completely different from the jobs that exist today and it can be difficult to know whether you’re developing the right skills,” said Oliver Coombs, a 20-year-old Higher Level Engineering Apprentice at BIMTek and Bath College.

The poll also found that 44% of teenagers believe their peers look down on vocational and technical routes.

Over a third (37%) said they feel pressure from their parents to choose academic options from age 16.

The government released the findings as it pushes ahead with its recently unveiled plans for Vocational GCSEs.

The poll found 84% of young people support new options for 14-year-olds that combine practical learning, such as coding, construction or manufacturing, with core subjects like English and Maths.

“The message from young people is clear: they want more choice and more opportunities to develop practical skills that lead to rewarding and prosperous careers,” said Lucy Powell, Education Secretary.

“If we are serious about building the skilled workforce our country needs and tackling youth unemployment, we must make sure young people have strong academic foundations alongside equally valued vocational education,” Powell added.

Nearly a million young people aged 16 to 24 are currently out of education, employment or training.

Vocational GCSEs will sit alongside traditional GCSEs and eventually replace the current Technical Awards.

The new qualifications will have nationally set standards, and Ofqual will regulate their grading and assessment to match traditional GCSEs.

The first subjects could arrive as early as September 2029, as part of broader technical pathways starting in September 2028.

Subject options could include:

• Digital Tech
• Creative Media Production
• Business Management and Finance
• Child Development
• Building and Construction

English, Maths and Science will remain a common entitlement for all students. The government will publish a consultation on Vocational GCSEs before the end of the year.

The reforms build on new V Levels for 16 to 19-year-olds, which become available from September 2027.

Each V Level will equal one A Level, allowing students to mix academic and vocational subjects if they are unsure where to specialise.

The first V Levels will cover Digital, Finance and Accounting, and Education and Early Years.

Two new qualifications will also launch in September 2027 for students who need support to pass English and Maths:

• Foundation Certificates, a one-year bridging route into V Levels, T Levels or A Levels
• Occupational Certificates, a two-year route directly into work or an apprenticeship

“Schools and colleges will welcome well-supported new qualifications which help to reverse this false divide and the negative perceptions it creates among students and families,” said Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

Now read: Big changes coming to Self Assessment tax returns in the UK