{"id":39690,"date":"2026-07-15T16:09:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/?post_type=news&p=39690"},"modified":"2026-07-15T16:09:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:09:18","slug":"young-people-urged-to-embrace-adaptability-as-ai-reshapes-future-careers","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/young-people-urged-to-embrace-adaptability-as-ai-reshapes-future-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"Young people urged to embrace adaptability as AI reshapes future careers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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That is one of the key messages emerging from World Youth Skills Day, observed annually on July 15. This year\u2019s theme, Skills for the Shared Future, highlights the growing importance of preparing young people for a labour market that is evolving faster than ever.<\/div>\n
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According to the World Economic Forum, nearly 40% of the skills workers rely on today could change or become obsolete by 2030, increasing the need for adaptability and continuous learning.<\/div>\n
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Francesca Fanelli, Senior Associate Director of Graduate Career Development at Columbia University, said young people should focus less on trying to identify so-called \u201cAI-proof\u201d careers and more on developing skills that can be transferred across different industries and professions. \u201cI think young people today need to be more open-minded, more flexible and more adaptable,\u201d said Fanelli.<\/div>\n
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Rather than basing career decisions solely on concerns about automation, Fanelli encourages students and graduates to build a broad set of abilities that can remain valuable even as technology changes.<\/div>\n
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According to Fanelli, adaptability, communication, collaboration and problem-solving are likely to remain important regardless of technological developments.<\/div>\n
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AI itself is increasingly becoming a workplace skill. Employers are now looking for candidates who understand how to use AI tools effectively and responsibly.<\/div>\n
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Fanelli said AI should be viewed as an assistant rather than a replacement for human decision-making. \u201cYou\u2019re still the problem solver,\u201d said Fanelli.<\/div>\n
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The ability to write effective prompts, analyse AI-generated information and verify outputs is becoming an important competency across a wide range of professions.<\/div>\n
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AI can also assist job seekers during the recruitment process. Fanelli said technology can help candidates analyse job descriptions, identify key skills employers are seeking, tailor applications and prepare for interviews.<\/div>\n
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However, Fanelli cautioned that applications should always reflect a candidate\u2019s own experience, personality and voice.<\/div>\n
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Beyond mastering technology, Fanelli said young people must also recognise the value of skills already developed through education and everyday experiences.<\/div>\n
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Many graduates mistakenly believe they lack relevant experience despite having acquired abilities such as teamwork, communication and critical thinking during their studies.<\/div>\n
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The job search process itself remains challenging. Fanelli noted that many young people feel overwhelmed by competition and uncertainty in the labour market. Maintaining resilience and staying focused during lengthy job searches is, therefore, crucial.<\/div>\n
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Importantly, Fanelli urged young people not to place excessive pressure on themselves to find a perfect career immediately. \u201cThe dream job might not be exactly what you think it is,\u201d said Fanelli.<\/div>\n
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According to Fanelli, meaningful and fulfilling lives are built from a combination of career opportunities, personal relationships, community involvement and individual interests.<\/div>\n
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–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":37532,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-39690","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming the world of work, making it increasingly difficult for young people to predict which skills and careers will remain relevant in the future.","published_date":"","news_description":"Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming the world of work, making it increasingly difficult for young people to predict which skills and careers will remain relevant in the future.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39691,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39690\/revisions\/39691"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=39690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}